F1 prospect handed Chip Ganassi Racing drive

A racing star who usually has his sights firmly set on Formula 1 has instead been confirmed for testing with an IndyCar team later this month.

Felipe Drugovich, who has been a reserve driver for Aston Martin F1 Team since 2022, is set to get behind the wheel for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR).

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Drugovich is yet to secure a full-time seat on the F1 grid despite his status as a Formula 2 champion.

Having performed as a test and reserve driver for current championship leaders McLaren and now Aston Martin, the 24-year-old has plenty of experience under his belt yet never makes it into the permanent lineup.

Speaking to RACER, CGR managing director Mike Hull revealed: “We’ve received approval today from IndyCar to test him,”

“With the way IndyCar has the testing rules structured to test and evaluate drivers, it made sense to connect with Felipe and get him in one of our cars.”

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This season, the Brazilian driver has had to balance his F1 duties with endurance racing, taking part in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans with Action Express Racing’s Cadillac V-Series.R.

His time on the European circuits has now led to a shot here in the US, with his test for CGR taking place on September 30 at Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama.

“We wanted to test him a year ago and we’re catching up on that,” Hull admitted.

“Indirectly, we were introduced to Drugovich last year at Le Mans and were impressed with him up close and personal. We want to get to know him and we think it’s worth doing.”

The reigning IndyCar champions will be hoping Drugovich can provide detailed feedback on the car rather than the test leading to an IndyCar signing.

CGR are already having to squeeze its lineup down for 2025, with the former five-car lineup downsized to three.

Scott Dixon and 2024 IndyCar Champion Alex Palou are the only two confirmed drivers for the team in 2025.

READ MORE: Controversial IndyCar star leaves team with IMMEDIATE effect

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