Drugovich set for latest Aston Martin practice outing at Mexico City Grand Prix

Aston Martin have announced that test and reserve driver Felipe Drugovich will make another free practice appearance for the team at the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix.

Brazilian racer Drugovich, 24, is set to drive Fernando Alonso’s car during Friday’s opening session, partially fulfilling the requirement for each team to run a rookie driver in two FP1s per season.

READ MORE: ‘I feel I’ve really improved’ – Aston Martin’s Drugovich explains how reserve role has made him a ‘better driver’

It will mark Drugovich’s first outing in the AMR24, which he has helped to develop through simulator work at Aston Martin’s factory, and adds to FP1 runs in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and Italy and Abu Dhabi last season.

“I’m really excited to drive the AMR24 for the first time – I’ve been looking forward to it for a while!” said Drugovich, who joined Aston Martin’s roster shortly after winning the 2022 Formula 2 championship.

“I’ve spent a lot of the year working on the development of this car in the team’s simulator, so it will be valuable for me to feel the correlation between the sim and the real thing.

“Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is a track I haven’t driven before. It’s a challenging circuit with a mix of long straights and technical corners, so I’ll be spending time on the simulator ahead of the event so that I’m ready to go come FP1.”

Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack added: “We’re excited to give Felipe this first opportunity to drive the AMR24 during Free Practice 1 in Mexico City.

F1 ICONS: Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich on his fellow Brazilian and triple world champion Ayrton Senna

“Felipe is regularly in Silverstone on our simulator, contributing towards the development of this car with his detailed and thoughtful feedback, so it will be a rewarding experience for him to get out on track in Mexico.

“During the session, Felipe will be working his way through the team’s run plan, collecting vital data to support our decision-making throughout the rest of the weekend and aiding with the set-up of the car.”