Felipe Drugovich will make his first on-track appearance of the 2025 Formula One season at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, with Aston Martin confirming he will replace Fernando Alonso for the opening free practice session. The 24-year-old Brazilian, currently serving as Aston Martin’s test and reserve driver, will pilot the AMR25 on Friday morning as part of a mandatory rookie participation initiative enforced by the FIA.
This early-season outing marks another key opportunity for Drugovich to gain valuable experience in a current-generation F1 car and contribute to the team’s data collection process during the first Grand Prix of the season. With Alonso temporarily stepping aside, the spotlight on Drugovich shines brighter than ever.
A familiar track and an important opportunity
Drugovich’s assignment in Bahrain is far from unfamiliar territory. He has prior experience at the Sakhir International Circuit, having stepped in for Lance Stroll during pre-season testing in 2023 when the Canadian driver was sidelined due to injury.
That stint gave Drugovich a solid grounding in the technical and physical demands of the track, experience that could prove beneficial as he slides back into the cockpit.
Bahrain’s desert circuit is a mix of high-speed straights and tricky low-speed corners, providing an ideal setting for young drivers to showcase their adaptability and finesse. Drugovich is not merely being handed seat time; he is being entrusted with a critical phase of the team’s weekend preparations, responsible for gathering telemetry and providing feedback that could shape car set-up and strategy decisions.
According to F1 regulations, all teams are required to run rookie drivers – defined as those with fewer than two Grand Prix starts – in at least two free practice sessions per car each season. Friday’s session in Bahrain will be the first of these mandatory outings for Aston Martin in 2025.
Hamilton blames car for Leclerc deficit
Drugovich excited about early season return
For Drugovich, the call-up represents a meaningful step in his ongoing development with Aston Martin, a team he has been closely tied to since 2022 when he joined their driver academy and clinched the Formula 2 title that same year. Speaking ahead of the Bahrain weekend, the Brazilian shared his enthusiasm about returning to a Formula 1 car so early in the year.
“I’m really excited to be back in an F1 car, especially this early in the season,” said Drugovich.
“I’ve been preparing in the simulator to get a feel for the car and Bahrain is a track I know well and really enjoy driving. I’m looking forward to contributing and giving the team the data they need to perform at their best this weekend. Thanks to the whole team for their continued support.”
His simulator preparation has been intense and his previous mileage on F1 cars positions him as a solid candidate to make a meaningful contribution during FP1. He’s already participated in Friday practice sessions at last season’s Mexican Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as well as gaining additional track time during the post-season Pirelli tyre tests in the United Arab Emirates.
McLaren dismiss Red Bull’s ability to challenge them in 2025
Aston Martin confident of young star
Team Principal Andy Cowell expressed his confidence in Drugovich’s abilities ahead of the upcoming race. Cowell, who is overseeing his first full campaign at the helm of Aston Martin, was quick to praise the Brazilian’s integral role in the team’s simulator and development programmes.
“He is an integral part of our team’s simulator program at the AMR Technology Campus and consistently provides valuable and insightful feedback that helps us develop the car,” said Cowell.
“Felipe has reliable hands and we are confident that he will do a great job in FP1 and contribute to our preparations for the race weekend.”
Cowell’s comments underline the confidence Aston Martin has in Drugovich, not just as a stopgap, but as a serious contributor to their ongoing push for competitiveness in a fiercely contested midfield. With the 2025 season still in its early stages, every session counts and Drugovich will be expected to deliver both consistency and technical acumen.
A career on the brink of full-time action
Despite not yet having secured a full-time F1 seat, Drugovich remains one of the most closely watched drivers in the paddock. Following his triumph in the 2022 F2 Championship, he’s remained active through test programmes and Friday sessions, building up a portfolio of experience that many believe will eventually translate into a race seat.
Last year, the Brazilian was briefly considered a leading candidate for a full-time role at Sauber. In the end, the team opted to sign rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, leaving Drugovich once again on the sidelines. Still, his name continues to surface in conversations around potential driver movements in 2026, especially if he continues to make a strong impression during his limited appearances.
The Bahrain FP1 session provides another opportunity to strengthen his case – not just within the Aston Martin ecosystem, but across the entire F1 paddock. Teams are always on the lookout for reliable, fast and technically minded drivers who can adapt quickly and provide meaningful feedback – all areas in which Drugovich has demonstrated his ability.
Bahrain the first of many?
Although Aston Martin have not revealed the full schedule for Drugovich’s participation in free practice this season, Bahrain is expected to be the first of many opportunities. With each team required to run rookies in a total of at least four sessions per season – two per car – it’s likely that the Brazilian will be seen again later in the year, potentially at tracks where data collection and driver development take precedence over outright performance.
Given Aston Martin’s investment in his progress and the high regard in which he is held internally, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Drugovich take part in at least one more Friday session midway through the season, particularly at venues such as Silverstone or Monza where Aston Martin have historically run upgrades and development programmes.
For now, however, all eyes will be on Bahrain, where Drugovich’s performance – albeit limited to a single session – will be scrutinised both inside and outside the team garage.
What it means for Alonso and Aston Martin’s goals
Fernando Alonso stepping aside for one session is far from unusual. The two-time World Champion has long been an advocate of giving young drivers a chance when circumstances allow, and his absence in FP1 won’t have a significant impact on his weekend preparations.
With Alonso’s experience and adaptability, he’s expected to integrate quickly into FP2 and be fully up to speed by qualifying.
Aston Martin, meanwhile, will benefit from a different perspective on the car’s handling and setup. Drugovich’s feedback, based on hours of simulator work, often brings a fresh perspective and may identify areas for improvement that are not immediately apparent to the race drivers. This, combined with real-world data from the Bahrain circuit, will feed into the team’s overall technical decisions ahead of qualifying and race day.
Is F1 about to break manufacturers control?
Looking ahead
As the 2025 Formula 1 season unfolds, Drugovich remains a key figure in Aston Martin’s broader plans – both as a contributor to car development and as a potential future full-time driver. His outing in Bahrain isn’t just a contractual obligation being fulfilled; it’s a carefully calculated move to give a proven young talent more track time, build confidence and maintain competitiveness should a race seat become available, either through injury or future driver movement.
Friday’s session will provide a brief but telling glimpse into the future for both Felipe Drugovich and Aston Martin. And if recent history is any guide, the young Brazilian won’t waste the opportunity.
MORE F1 NEWS – McLaren dismiss Red Bull’s ability to challenge them in 2025
Given all the talk from Red Bull – when not taking and hiring drivers – has been about how awful their RB21 challenger for 2025 has turned out, seeing Max Verstappen sitting just one point behind McLaren’s Lando Norris after three Grand Prix and a Sprint is not too shabby a result.
The McLaren dominance in Australia was mitigated by wet conditions which cause Oscar Piastri to make a mistake and hand second place to Verstappen on a plate. The in China, again the McLarens looked ahead of the field only for them to mess up Sprint qualifying but claim their first 1-2 of the year in the race on Sunday.
Again expectations were high for the papaya liveried cars in the land of the rising sun, yet both made mistakes in their final qualifying runs whilst Verstappen pulled out ‘miracle’ lap claiming a crucial pole position by just 0.014seconds. All Max needed was to beat the McLaren’s into turn one in Suzuka and the race was his, which he did. The resurfaced circuit meant that tyre degradation was minimal which failed to showcase one of the MCL39’s strengths…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Ofc not the window licker