Felipe Drugvich is ready to skip the Le Mans 24 Hours if Aston Martin asks him to step in for Lance Stroll, who was injured in a crash during the Canadian Grand Prix. Drugvich is set to drive the Action Express Racing Cadillac LMDH prototype alongside Frederick Vesti and Jack Aitken in the World Endurance Championship event on June 14-15.
This marks Drugvich’s second consecutive appearance in the series after he debuted in 2024, where Aitken and Pipoderani finished 9th in the top hypercar category. In addition to his endurance racing, Drugvich is also a reserve driver for Aston Martin’s Formula 1 team, a role that could see him replace Stroll if the latter doesn’t recover before the Montreal race next week.
Stroll’s injury has been linked to a wrist fracture he sustained during cycling earlier in 2023, which forced him to miss the Spanish Grand Prix due to pain. He is scheduled for surgery after the Barcelona race, with no clear timeline yet on his full recovery. If Stroll is unfit to race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Aston Martin might draft Drugvich as a substitute.
Although Drugvich, a 2022 Formula 2 champion with MP Motorsport, has been affiliated with Aston Martin for three years, he has yet to race in F1. He expressed uncertainty about how events will unfold but emphasized his primary focus remains on Formula 1, with Le Mans as a secondary consideration.
Aston Martin also has former McLaren F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne as another backup, though Vandoorne is committed to racing Le Mans with the Peugeot factory team. Aston Martin’s trackside director, Mike Krack, confirmed the team’s priority is to get Stroll back in the car for the Canadian race but acknowledged that Drugvich and Vandoorne are being considered as contingency options.
Krack stated, “Plan A is to have Lance back in the car, but if that doesn’t happen, we have Plan B ready.” He added that the team will wait to see how things develop before making a final decision.
Fan Take: This news is crucial for racing fans because it highlights the unpredictable nature of motorsports and the importance of having versatile drivers ready to step in. Drugvich’s potential F1 debut could bring fresh excitement to the grid while underscoring the growing crossover between endurance racing and Formula 1.
