Drugovich Confirms Stroll Was “Very Close” to Leaving F1 in 2024

The Brazilian will race next season in Formula E with the Andretti team.

Felipe Drugovich will race in Formula E in the 2025-26 season for the Andretti team, after spending three years as Aston Martin’s reserve driver in Formula 1. In an interview with the ge Na Ponta dos Dedos podcast, ‘Drugo’ confirmed the rumors that he was close to racing in F1 when Lance Stroll was about to abandon the top category of motorsport.

The rumors that Lance, son of Aston owner Lawrence Stroll, was close to leaving F1 were first reported by veteran motorsport commentator Reginaldo Leme during the third free practice session at the Dutch GP. ‘Regi’ claimed that the Canadian had already considered leaving F1 in 2023 and then in 2024, but his father “forbade” it.

Stroll’s Denial in Monza

In Monza, with Motorsport.com Brasil present on-site at the Italian GP, Stroll denied the accusations, deciding to silence the comments. “I had no plans for that [leaving F1]. I’m not sure where the rumors came from.”

The reporter who questioned the Canadian on the topic commented that the story had been told by another Brazilian journalist (‘Regi’ Leme), so Stroll decided to be ‘funny’ and replied: “I think he just needed to say something! I didn’t have that plan.”

Drugovich’s Revelations

However, Drugovich has now stated that this story was true, especially in 2024, when he participated in conversations with the then team principal, Mike Krack, for the opportunity to race in F1 to be real.

“I renewed with them for 2024 and 2025, with some, not just hope, but there were conversations for me to take over in 2024, even with the team principal,” he began, assuring that one of the forces behind the renewal was that opportunity.

“And there came a time when other drivers perhaps didn’t want to continue, so it really was a moment when it didn’t work out for me to join in 2023, and at the end of 2023, it was quite clear that maybe it would work out for me to join in 2024. And that’s when the guys seemed to start shaking things up, there was going to be an opportunity and they put the contract in front of me to renew for 2024 and 2025.”

“The Right Place at the Right Time”

The driver from Paraná assured that the possibility of Stroll not continuing in F1 made ‘Drugo’ believe it was “the right time” for him to take over: “And I said: ‘I’m in the right place, at the right time, let’s go.’ And I felt it again, the right moment, the right time. And I think it was much closer than everyone thought. It was very close to Lance [Stroll] himself maybe not continuing in 2024, so it really was…”

“So nothing to judge against the circumstances, because I have nothing to do with that, and I too, if I were in his shoes, maybe I would do the same.”

Moving Forward

“But, from my perspective, it’s really complicated, because I really thought it seemed like, everything is opening up, everything is working, they put the contract in front of me again to renew, because it’s going to happen and everything, and it turned out it didn’t and I got stuck in this, anyway. It is what it is, now I don’t have much to cry about,” Drugovich concluded.

Additional information from Livia Veiga and Philip Cleeren