Ayrton Senna created ‘a problem’ for F1 in Brazil according to Felipe Drugovich

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Felipe Drugovich rapidly rose through the junior ranks below Formula 1 before winning the Formula 2 Championship title in 2022.

The Brazilian driver drove admirably over his junior career and dominated in F2, putting him on the verge of F1.

Drugovich joined the Aston Martin F1 Team by becoming their reserve driver, which was a step forward to becoming embedded in an F1 team.

Despite having the link to the British team, he hasn’t been able to get onto the grid as the outfit are signed with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

Other options at the highest level have been few and far between. Drugovich has also been overtaken by younger rookies, such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli who will drive for Mercedes in 2025.

Brazil has a superb history in F1, with multiple champions like Ayrton Senna and Emerson Fittipaldi. Senna, in particular, was incredibly popular but Drugovich told the Formula 1 YouTube channel he may have caused issues for the series in Brazil.

Felipe Drugovich explained Ayrton Senna created a ‘problem’ as people got used to his talents

Senna was successful in his Formula 1 career, winning 41 races and three world championships for McLaren.

The Brazilian driver was especially quick in qualifying as Senna was very hard to beat over a single lap in his career.

He boosted the popularity of Formula 1 in Brazil and led Sao Paulo to resecure the Grand Prix. But, despite his success, Senna is still the final Brazilian world champion, winning his final title in 1993.

Senna set the bar so high that it is very difficult for a Brazilian driver to replicate and reach his level in Formula 1.

They have had successful drivers, including Felipe Massa, who won 11 races and narrowly missed out on the world championship in 2008.

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Drugovich explained the issues Senna created for Formula 1 in Brazil after his successful career, winning at McLaren.

He said: “I think it’s all the people missing someone like Senna to represent the country. They all got used to that, which can be a problem.

“You can’t get used to Senna, who has been the best ever. It’s hard to find anyone close to him. But obviously, people are really willing to find someone to represent the country. I’m happy that they are also thinking that’s me. That’s a really special thing for me to think that they are cheering on me for that.”

Felipe Drugovich is now unlikely to race in Formula 1

Drugovich showed during his time in the junior categories below Formula 1 that he is a very capable driver.

His career has stalled since winning the Formula 2 title, not competing in a full championship and getting limited opportunities to drive on Grand Prix weekends.

The Brazilian has been looking at other options, such as IndyCar for 2025, although Drugovich could be a contender for Sauber in F1.

He is unlikely to get the drive at the Swiss team, though, as other candidates such as Argentina’s Franco Colapinto and fellow Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto are in the middle of excellent campaigns in F1 and Formula 2 respectively.