Fan footage from the Brazilian Grand Prix has uncovered
the moment spectators chanted the name of Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe
Drugovich as Lance Stroll hit trouble on the formation lap.
Aston Martin suffered
a torrid weekend at Interlagos, where both Stroll and
team-mate Fernando Alonso crashed out of the delayed Sunday morning qualifying
session.
Brazil GP fans called for Felipe Drugovich amid Lance
Stroll woes
Those incidents left the team with a frantic rebuilding
job ahead of the race, with Alonso forced to revert to older parts.
Alonso was heard complaining of back pain over team radio
in the closing stages of the race, having suffered from extreme bouncing on the
resurfaced Interlagos track.
The two-time World Champion was later seen struggling to
haul himself out of his car, with untelevised footage from parc ferme showing
Alonso resting on his halo for approximately 15 seconds before vacating his
cockpit.
Stroll, meanwhile, failed to even start the race after
suffering an apparent brake failure at Turn 4 on the formation lap, making
light contact with the wall.
In his attempts to rejoin, the Canadian drove straight into
the gravel trap and ended up beaching his AMR24.
A clip posted to social media has revealed the moment
Brazilian fans taunted Stroll by chanting the name of Drugovich, Aston Martin’s
reserve driver since 2022, as he sat stationary following his collision with
the barrier.
The crowd then erupts as Stroll gets stuck in the gravel,
bringing an early end to his afternoon.
Despite winning the prestigious F2 (formerly GP2) feeder
series – a category previously won by the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico
Rosberg, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri – in 2022, Drugovich
has struggled to force his way into contention for an F1 race seat.
The 24-year-old participated in pre-season testing for Aston
Martin in 2023 after Stroll was ruled out through injury and has made two FP1
appearances during the F1 2024 season in Italy and Mexico.
Drugovich, of Maringa, Parana, was briefly linked with a
race seat with Audi F1, who will take over the existing Sauber team in time for
the sport’s new regulations in F1 2026, earlier this year.
However, reports over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend
claimed his compatriot and McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto, the current leader
of the F2 standings, will become Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber team-mate for the F1
2025 season.
If confirmed, Bortoleto’s graduation to an Audi F1 race seat
would see the Sao Paulo-born star become the first full-time Brazilian F1 racer
since Felipe Massa in 2017.
Speaking to reporters after his retirement at Interlagos,
meanwhile, Stroll claimed he was “just a passenger” after his suspected brake
failure entering Turn 4 on the parade lap, adding that it “sucked” to be out so
early ahead of a chaotic race.
He said: “Really strange.
.webp)
