A few days back, everyone was quite excited at the prospect of Vettel driving his 300th race on behalf of Stroll, who is currently injured. However, Aston Martin has now confirmed that Drugovich will take Stroll’s position – only if he is not available for the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix. Stroll got injured in a bike accident and missed the pre-season testing in Bahrain, and Drugovich had to complete two half days in his absence with Fernando Alonso.
Rumors about Vettel
While Stroll was in recovery, rumors started circulating about Vettel being the potential substitute for him in the season opener. When asked about the possibility of Vettel filling in Stroll’s shoes, the team principal, Mike Krack, didn’t dismiss the idea. Sebastian Vettel only retired from Formula 1 racing at the end of last season, and with great prior experience, he seems to be quite a good pick. However, Krack pointed out that Vettel has planned quite a retirement plan for himself, and they want to respect it and let him enjoy his retirement. He also stated that Aston has had the reserve driver, Felipe Drugovich, finish 117 laps in the AMR23 at the more conventional Bahrain circuit and is content with Drugovich as their backup.
Will Stroll Be Back?
The team has stated that Stroll will be given an equal chance to race, depending upon his recovery. He is also expected to do a tryout in the Aston Martin simulator soon at Silverstone before a final decision can be taken. However, if Stroll starts the race and needs to withdraw from the race, then Drugovich will take part in at least one practice session to be able to continue the race. While it is true that Drugovich has no Formula One starts to his name, it is noteworthy to acknowledge that he is the team’s reserve driver for this season. He has been selected based on his splendid performance and holds great potential.