Photo: Mahindra
Felipe Drugovich will make his long-awaited race debut at single-seaters’ top level next weekend as he joins Mahindra’s Formula E line-up for the Berlin E-Prix.
Since winning the 2022 Formula 2 title, the 25-year-old Brazilian has contested six Formula 1 practice sessions with Aston Martin and acted as reserve driver, done an IndyCar test with Chip Ganassi Racing and has been called up by Maserati for two rookie tests and a rookie-only practice session in FE.
He has raced in prototype sportscars over the last two years to stay race-sharp, and the opportunity to compete in FE has come due to Mahindra’s regular driver Nyck de Vries having a clashing World Endurance Championship commitment.
The two races in Berlin on July 12/13 will be Drugovich’s first in single-seaters since concluding his title-winning F2 campaign in November 2022.
“I’m very happy to confirm I will be making my FE debut with Mahindra in Berlin,” said Drugovich. “FE 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 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.”
He has already worked with the outfit, having recently done a private test at the Guadix circuit in Spain.
“It’s very exciting to be able to welcome Felipe to the team for the Berlin E-Prix,” Mahindra’s team principal Frederic Bertrand said. “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 FE 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.”
Theo Pourchaire, who succeeded Drugovich as F2 champion, will also be driving in Berlin but after the race weekend. The 21-year-old Frenchman will join Maserati for the rookie test on July 14.
After doing development work on FE’s Gen3 car back in 2022 (with the Gen3 Evo car currently in use), Pourchaire picked up more FE mileage earlier this year when he drove for Maserati in the rookie practice session at the Jeddah E-Prix.
Following his F2 title, Pourchaire made three F1 practice outings outings with long-term back Sauber before leaving the team at the end of 2024, and raced top-tier single-seaters last year. He began the year with one race in Super Formula, then joined McLaren for six IndyCar races. He is now Peugeot’s test and development driver in the WEC.