"It would be great to see him" Fernando Alonso backs Aston Martin junior with "incredible talent" for F1 future

Fernando Alonso backed Aston Martin junior driver Felipe Drugovich as a full-time F1 driver in the future, hinting towards a potential change in the 2026 driver lineup. Drugovich has been associated with the Formula 1 team since the 2022 season.

This was also the year when he won the Formula 2 World Championship. Although he has tested with the team several times and was spotted during race weekends, he never had the chance to run a Grand Prix.

Backing his "incredible talent," Alonso mentioned that it would be positive to have him on the grid as a full-time driver, perhaps hinting towards a change in the driver lineup.

"It would be great to see him in F1," he said (via Motorsport Week). "He has an incredible talent, Formula 2 was a demonstration."

Fernando Alonso further revealed that Drugovich's work on the simulator and free practice sessions has been promising so far.

"We can see it here every day when we work with him. The simulator work, some of the free practices that he has. He has been always delivering the performance that the team was asking, even with very limited kilometres," he added.

Drugovich is currently in the team's reserve driver role, which he has been serving since 2022. He was recently said to be a potential candidate for Cadillac, who is joining the grid as the 11th team in the 2026 F1 season. There has been an array of different drivers associated with the team, including the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Mick Schumacher, and now Felipe Drugovich.

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Fernando Alonso delivers verdict on the 2026 F1 cars

Formula 1 will enter a new era of racing in the 2026 season with new aerodynamic and engine regulations. The cars will be shorter and lighter, but notably, will also generate significantly less downforce than the current generation of cars.

The floors will be rather simpler, and the ground effect will be minimized. In fact, there will be 55% less aerodynamic drag, and the cars will have an overall reduction of 30% downforce compared to the current generation of cars.

While this will make the cars go faster on straights, they would have to slow down significantly on corners, which might become a little disappointing for the drivers.

Fernando Alonso, who ran the car in the simulator, mentioned that the cars will be slower than the current generation.

"Yeah, it’s less performance than this year. Every time a racing driver tests something that is slower, [they] will never like [it]," Fernando Alonso said (via Motorsports Week).

However, he then mentioned that drivers also have fun racing on karts, so the 2026 F1 cars shouldn't feel too bad. He also wished his teammate, Lance Stroll, enjoys driving the cars next year.

"But then we go in a rental car, with 12 horsepower, and we love it [laughs]. When we are all together, you know, and you fight and you win the race and it’s like you win the championship. So yeah, if next year you are fast, we will love the cars. And hopefully Lance can enjoy next year. That will be good news," Fernando Alonso concluded.

Aston Martin is tipped to be a strong contender next year. The team has signed Adrian Newey, who has been working on the 2026 car throughout this season; moreover, they will also be in partnership with Honda beginning next year, who are known for reliable and powerful engines.