Drugovich: Stroll ‘came very close’ to quitting F1

Felipe Drugovich has lifted the lid on how close he came to racing for Aston Martin, revealing that Lance Stroll “almost didn’t continue” in Formula 1 for 2024 before reversing course at the last moment.

Speaking on Brazil’s Na Ponta dos Dedos podcast, the 2022 Formula 2 champion confirmed persistent rumours that Stroll has contemplated walking away from F1 multiple times, only to be persuaded to stay by his father and team owner, Lawrence Stroll.

“I renewed with them for ’24 and ’25, with not only hope but real conversations about me taking over in ’24,  even with the team manager,” Drugovich said. “And there came a time when other drivers were, perhaps, not wanting to continue.

“It didn’t work out for me to enter in 2023, and at the end of that year it was very clear that perhaps it would work out to enter in ’24. That’s when things started to shake.”

According to Drugovich, he was presented with a new contract under the belief that an opening was imminent. “There was going to be an opportunity, and they put the contract in front of me to renew for ’24 and ’25,” he recalled. “I said, ‘I’m in the right place, at the right time, let’s go.’

“It was much closer than everyone thought. It was very close to Lance maybe not continuing in 2024.”

Ultimately, Stroll chose to remain on the grid, leaving Drugovich to stay in a reserve role before now moving to Formula E.

“Nothing to judge against the circumstances,” he added. “Because I have nothing to do with it, and I too, if I were in their place, perhaps I would do the same thing. But from my perspective, it’s complicated, because I really thought everything was opening up, everything was going well.

“They put the contract in front of me again because it was going to happen and then it ended up not happening. It is what it is; there’s not much for me to cry about now.”

Stroll’s on-track frustrations resurfaced in Austin, where contact with Esteban Ocon in the sprint earned him a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s grand prix and two penalty points on his licence. The stewards found the Canadian “wholly at fault” for the collision.