There has been a lot of mystique over the condition of Lance Stroll, the team initially being coy to release any details regarding his pre-season accident the ruled him out of testing. But after completing 117 laps with the team in place of Stroll, it's clear that 2022 Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich is the most logical replacement for the Canadian. Drugovich was chosen as the last minute stand-in for Stroll for pre-season testing over official reserve Stoffel Vandoorne, mainly due to the Belgian driver's commitments in Formula E. Rumours of Sebastian Vettel's potential return for the opening race was fuelled after Team Principal Mike Krack did not rule him out as an option, however the team has now confirmed that the Brazilian will be on stand-by for them should Stroll be unfit to drive. Not only does Drugovich have the same recent experience racing as Vettel - having competed in the Abu Dhabi F2 finale in November - but he has the added bonus of lots of milage in the AMR23 which counts for a lot when the team say it is 95% different to the AMR22. Drugovich will also have completed the necessary pre-season training required to ready himself as a stand in for what will be one of the longest seasons in the history of F1. A look back at Kevin Magnussen, who competed in the Daytona 24 Hours in the months prior to being thrusted in as a replacement for Nikita Mazepin last year at Haas, said that the hardest part of his return was dealing with neck problems .
Krack: Drugovich was faultless in test
After completing the test with Aston Martin, Drugovich received high praise from Krack who said he was "faultless" for the team. "Felipe did a very good job. We must not forget the whole thing here is also new for him, he never drove the car before," he told media, including RacingNews365.com . "He's a very, very reflective and calm person and his approach is also like that. "The first day he took it really steadily and did all the things that we asked from him perfectly. It was faultless. "I think if you have watched [on TV], there was not one wheel lock or there was not an apex missed or something like that. So we're very happy with what he has done." As Aston Martin look set for a surprise start to the season at the sharp end to the grid, Drugovich has proven himself as the right solution for the team should his services be required.
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