Felipe Drugovich will remain as Aston Martin’s test and reserve driver in Formula 1 next season.
Drugovich won last year’s Formula 2 championship before joining Aston Martin as back-up to Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Drugovich participated in pre-season testing in place of the injured Stroll before the Canadian was given the all-clear to return to action ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Alongside remaining as Aston Martin’s reserve in 2024 he will take part in FP1 at this month’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“I’m really proud to be continuing to work with Aston Martin for a second season,” said Drugovich.
“This year, I’ve learnt a huge amount – not just at the racetrack, but working with the engineers in the simulator and from the development programme that was designed for me.
“I’m proud of the contribution I’ve been able to make, and pleased that I’ve been able to help progress the development of AMR23.
“My focus now shifts towards preparing for the upcoming FP1 session at Abu Dhabi – I’m already looking forward to driving the AMR23 again – and to the work I’ll be doing with the engineers over the winter to prepare for 2024.”
Drugovich also participated in the opening practice session in Italy and his Abu Dhabi run will fulfil Aston Martin’s obligation to run a rookie in two sessions.
“Everyone at Aston Martin is incredibly pleased that Felipe will be staying with us in 2024,” said team boss Mike Krack.
“He’s a familiar face within the team; he understands the particular demands of the role, has a tremendous work ethic, and has shown his speed and experience after stepping in superbly for an injured Lance during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
“Every time he gets behind the wheel, we clearly see the strength of his contribution: his pace, feedback and commitment are all extremely valuable to our engineers.”
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