F1 hopeful to make long-awaited professional single-seater debut

Felipe Drugovich is set to start the first professional single-seater race of his career, deputising for Nyck de Vries at the Berlin E-Prix.

Mahindra Racing has confirmed the Brazilian will compete in rounds 13 and 14 of the Formula E season.

The 2020-21 world champion, who usually partners Edoardo Mortara, has a pre-existing commitment to race in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) on the same weekend, specifically the 6 hours of Sao Paulo, meaning he will have to miss the double-header in Germany's capital.

It will mark the first professional single-seater races of Drugovich's career. Having won the Formula 2 title in 2022, the 25-year-old has spent the past four seasons Aston Martin's F1 reserve driver.

Consigned to a handful of FP1 outings for the Silverstone squad, he has dovetailed those duties with endurance racing since 2024.

Drugovich does have Formula E experience to draw upon. He was Maserati's test driver in during the 2022-23 season and has also driven the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, where the Berlin E-Prix is held, in the past.

He participated in the all-electric series' last two rookie tests at the track, topping the timing board in the 2023 session.

"I’m very happy to confirm I will be making my Formula E debut with Mahindra Racing in Berlin," Drugovich said.

"Formula E is a championship I’ve been around for a while now; having tested on several occasions, I’m excited to now get the opportunity to race.

"Mahindra Racing is a fantastic team, one of the championship’s standout names, and it’s clear from their recent results that the new car is a significant step forward. I’m looking forward to working closely with them to prepare for Berlin, and I’m sure we can have a good weekend together."

Mahindra Racing is fifth in the Formula E teams' standings 12 rounds into the campaign. Mortara and De Vries and ninth and 11th in the drivers' fight, respectively, each with a second-place finish to their name.

Frederic Bertrand, Mahindra Racing CEO and team principal, added: "It’s very exciting to be able to welcome Felipe to the team for the Berlin E-Prix.

"It’s been on our radar for a while now that we would need to find a solution for Berlin to substitute for Nyck. Felipe quickly emerged as the standout candidate, his achievements speak for themselves, and he’s been very impressive when he’s tested a Formula E car in the past.

"The benefit of having this confirmed so far in advance is that we have had plenty of time to get him fully integrated with the team, to prepare him properly for the race weekend and give him the best opportunity to go out and showcase what he can do."