“The Boy From Brazil”: Aston Martin’s Substitute for Lance Stroll Gets the F1 World Eager for Bahrain Testing

Brazilians’ distinctive racing techniques have always added a little something extraordinary to Formula 1. Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and Ayrton Senna are a few names who have won several championships and displayed their sheer skills on an F1 track. Nevertheless, ever since Felipe Massa retired from Formula One in 2017, the F1 grid has been without the services of a “Brazilian Boy.” But it now appears that double champion Fernando Alonso along with the team’s reserve driver and F2 champion, Felipe Drugovich will be behind the wheel of the Aston Martin vehicle during Bahrain preseason testing.

The Silverstone-based team revealed on Monday that their other driver, Lance Stroll, had suffered injuries in training. He will therefore be unable to participate in the three-day test. Although, when the news broke, everyone’s attention was initially drawn to Fernando Alonso to see if he could make it through the entire three-day test alone. But the team ultimately decided to go with Felipe Drugovich, the team’s backup driver.

They wrote, “ UPDATE: @FelipeDrugovich will attend the Bahrain test to share driving duties with Fernando Alonso. Felipe is scheduled to drive AMR23 on Thursday morning with Fernando taking over in the afternoon. Schedule for Friday and Saturday to be confirmed.”

These quotes indicate that the 22-year-old may have another chance to steer an Aston Martin after this coming Thursday.

Twitter F1 fans couldn’t contain their excitement when they heard the news that, after six years, a Brazilian driver will be spotted in the Formula 1 races. As a result, they showered their love on the reserve driver.

F1 fans are ecstatic with the opportunity Aston Martin has given to Felipe Drugovich

Drugovich is not brand-new to the squad, the Brazilian drove AMR22 in FP1 last year in Abu Dhabi. But, the Brazilian might prove to be a valuable member of the squad if Stroll’s injury persists. Aside from that, Drugovich taking the steering wheel in the pre-season test might also assist him with the team’s simulator, in which the Brazilian must support the team for the entire year.

Fans were astounded by the entire situation, and many of them were thrilled about the chances Drugovich received. Some supporters even suggested that he should take Lance Stroll’s place on a regular basis. Given below are some of the reactions.

READ MORE: “Passionate” Billionaire Lawrence Stroll Sets Realistic but High Goals for Fernando Alonso & Son Lance

Although for a team as fresh as the Silverstone side, the last season went mediocre. The team finished at P7 last year, with 55 points. However, Aston Martin will be seeking to make significant progress towards their ultimate F1 ambition, which is to win the championship.

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Having said that, do you believe Stroll missing the crucial preseason testing will affect the outcome of the season for Aston Martin?