Electric Cars

Felipe Drugovich, the Aston Martin reserve driver, is poised to make a full-time return to single-seater competition, having inked a multi-year agreement with Andretti for the 2025/26 Formula E season. This marks a pivotal moment for the promising Brazilian talent, who has spent recent years on the sidelines despite a remarkable track record in junior racing.

Since clinching the 2022 Formula 2 title, Drugovich has been a test and reserve driver for Aston Martin, a role he shares with Stoffel Vandoorne. This position has afforded him invaluable experience and direct access to the Formula 1 team. He has participated in F1 race weekends, notably substituting for an injured Fernando Alonso during practice at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, and has also been involved in several Pirelli tyre tests. Beyond single-seaters, Drugovich has explored endurance racing, competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the European Le Mans Series. He also made two appearances in Formula E with Mahindra Racing during the 2024/25 season, showcasing his adaptability.

Drugovich's decision to join Andretti was influenced by their previous interactions and the team's strong performance, having seen Jake Dennis secure the drivers' title in 2023. He expressed a desire to return to regular competition, missing the dynamic of leading his own team with dedicated engineers and mechanics. The upcoming Formula E season will feature a record 18 races, commencing with a home race for Drugovich in Sao Paulo. However, the expanding Formula E schedule does present potential clashes with Formula 1 events, including the season opener and key races like the Miami, British, and Hungarian Grands Prix in 2026, which could impact his continued involvement with Aston Martin. With the Formula E driver market in flux, and other drivers like Stoffel Vandoorne potentially losing their seats, Drugovich's move adds another layer of intrigue to the racing landscape.

Felipe Drugovich's dedication and pursuit of active racing, even when a direct path to Formula 1 seems challenging, exemplifies a true sportsman's spirit. His move to Formula E not only provides him with a competitive platform to hone his skills but also demonstrates the growing prestige of electric racing. It highlights the importance of seizing opportunities and adapting to new challenges, ultimately contributing to the dynamism and evolution of motorsport.

Fernando Alonso, the seasoned Aston Martin driver, has voiced significant discontent regarding the continuous streak of unfortunate incidents that have plagued his 2025 Formula 1 season. His recent 15th-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix further intensified his frustration, as a false start penalty and the AMR25 car's inherent lack of pace on the Baku street circuit conspired against him. Alonso perceives a recurring pattern where favorable circumstances, such as safety cars or rivals' retirements, only seem to manifest when his team is already struggling, effectively nullifying any potential gains and consistently impeding his quest for championship points.

Alonso's Persistent Misfortune in the 2025 Formula 1 Season

During the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held on September 24, 2025, in Baku, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin Racing finished in a disappointing 15th position, having qualified 11th. The Spanish driver's race was compromised by an early false start, triggered by Oscar Piastri's McLaren, which resulted in a five-second time penalty. Reflecting on the incident, Alonso stated that the penalty did not significantly alter his outcome given the AMR25 car's uncompetitive pace on the Baku circuit, which demands high downforce and low drag – characteristics the car notably lacks.

This incident is not an isolated one in Alonso's 2025 campaign. He has consistently pointed to a string of unlucky breaks throughout the season. Early in the year, he was forced to retire from four races, three due to technical failures—a brake issue in China, power unit problems in Monaco, and suspension damage in Italy. In Australia, a spin in damp conditions further contributed to his misfortunes. Similar to his teammate Lance Stroll, who also faced point-scoring challenges due to race interruptions in Imola and Spa, Alonso believes that safety car timings and virtual safety cars have repeatedly disadvantaged him, particularly at tracks where the AMR25 might otherwise have performed better. This series of events has left him in 14th place in the driver standings, with 32 points, trailing his teammate Stroll.

Looking ahead, Alonso remains pragmatic about the remainder of the season. He has publicly acknowledged that upcoming races in circuits like Las Vegas and Mexico will likely not suit the AMR25's characteristics, anticipating them as events to navigate cautiously to avoid further damage. Despite these challenges, there remains a glimmer of hope, with Singapore highlighted as a potentially more favorable track. Additionally, the team concluded the 2024 season strongly in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, suggesting that a turnaround in fortune might still be possible for Alonso before the year concludes.

Fernando Alonso's reflections on his 2025 Formula 1 season offer a poignant reminder of the intricate balance between skill, machinery, and sheer luck in motorsport. While his candid remarks about continuous misfortune might sound like mere complaints, they also underscore the profound frustration that even a two-time world champion can experience when factors beyond immediate control dictate race outcomes. This narrative provokes thought on how much influence fate or chance truly holds in a sport meticulously engineered around performance and strategy. For aspiring drivers and seasoned competitors alike, Alonso's situation highlights the need for mental resilience and a persistent belief in one's capabilities, even when the cards seem stacked against you. It also prompts teams to continually optimize their strategies and adapt to unpredictable race dynamics, striving to minimize the impact of external variables. Ultimately, his ongoing struggle serves as a compelling subplot in the F1 season, illustrating that even in the most high-tech and controlled environments, the human element of hope and the capriciousness of luck remain powerful forces.