Career
Felipe began his career in Brazilian karting in 2008 at just 8 years old and competed in Brazil until he was 13. From 2013 to 2015, he raced in international karting for top teams like ART Grand Prix and Kosmic Racing, achieving excellent results in major international championships.
2016 marked Felipe's debut in formula cars, competing in the ADAC German Formula 4 Championship and the 2016/17 MRF Challenge in the Middle East, where he clinched a win in Dubai.
In 2017, Felipe excelled and finished 3rd overall in the ADAC German Formula 4 Championship driving for Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR). He secured 7 victories, the most of any driver that season. Later that year, he also competed in two Formula 3 events: the final round of the FIA F3 at Hockenheim and the last round of the Euroformula Open in Barcelona, where he debuted with a pole position and a win.
2018 could not have been better. Felipe became the champion of the MRF Challenge 2017/2018 with 10 victories and a spectacular performance. In the Euroformula F3 Open, competing with the Italian team RP Motorsport, he won the championship at the 12th round in Monza, achieving an unprecedented 14 victories in 16 races and securing 2 second-place finishes, setting a record for the most wins in the history of the championship.
In 2019, Felipe Drugovich raced in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. The year was challenging due to issues with car setup and adjustments, making it difficult for Felipe to achieve standout results. Nonetheless, he managed the best position relative to his teammate at Carlin Buzz Racing.
In 2020, the Brazilian competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for the Dutch team MP Motorsport, achieving remarkable results with 3 spectacular wins in his debut season. 2021 was also pivotal for his career. In Spielberg, he became the first driver to win on his debut in Formula 2 since Charles Leclerc in 2017, who won in Bahrain. That same month, Felipe secured his first pole position in the category at Silverstone.
During the sixth round of the championship at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, he claimed his second category win with a flawless race. Starting from second place, he took the lead before the first corner and maintained a safe distance from the other competitors until crossing the finish line.
At the 11th and penultimate round of the championship, Felipe Drugovich stunned the racing world with his first Feature Race victory at the Bahrain International Circuit, starting from the front row and taking the lead at the first corner with a safe overtaking maneuver. The gap widened significantly, and by lap 15, when he pitted for tire changes, the Brazilian was nearly 4 seconds ahead. He retook the lead on the 20th of the 32 laps, finishing more than 14 seconds ahead.
In the final round of the year, he secured another podium. After a very positive qualifying session, Felipe secured a third-row start in Saturday's Feature Race. The race was intense, and Drugovich remained in fifth, close to the top four throughout the first stint. After the tire change, he continued to perform well, overtaking the fourth-placed driver. He then battled for third place with Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, who squeezed him during two overtaking attempts. At the final flag, Felipe finished fourth, but following the race, the stewards penalized Mazepin for unsportsmanlike conduct, promoting Drugovich to third.
Only four drivers ended the year with more than two victories, and only two were rookies. Felipe Drugovich is one of them! With more wins than the champion Mick Schumacher, Felipe was heralded as a major revelation in the category, being featured in newspapers and websites worldwide as one of the most promising Brazilian talents for Formula 1.
In 2021, he raced for the Uni-Virtuosi team, securing 3 podiums and accumulating over 100 points for the season, finishing in eighth place.
In 2022, Felipe rejoined the MP Motorsport team, and the season brought extraordinary results. He became champion in the penultimate round in Monza, Italy! He was the first Brazilian to achieve this feat. With a healthy points lead over the second-placed driver, Drugovich accumulated 5 victories during the season. Additionally, that same weekend, he was announced as the reserve driver for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team for 2023. At 22 years old, he is the first member of the team's young driver program.
On the international competitive scene, Drugovich is participating in the 2024 European Le Mans Series season. The Brazilian driver joined the Vector Sport team to compete in the LMP2 class. As a result of his performance in the category, Felipe will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Action Express Racing team. He will make his debut at one of the most iconic motorsport events in the world, in France, on June 15-16. The driver from Maringá, Paraná, will share the driving of the Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R with fellow Brazilian Pipo Derani and Anglo-South Korean Jack Aitken. “It will undoubtedly be a dream come true and a unique opportunity in my career”, highlighted the 2022 Formula 2 champion. “I will race the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a 'magical' race, for the official Cadillac team, and I am very happy about that. The Action Express Racing team is very strong and traditional, and we will form a very cohesive team of drivers. Cheer for #311”, concluded the driver, who won two virtual editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans!
