Which Brazilian driver has the greatest potential to reach F1?

That Brazil is one of the countries with the longest history in Formula 1 is no secret. Since 1950, when the highest category of motor racing started, to date, Brazil has collected 101 victories, 293 podiums and 8 titles, being the third country with the highest number of world champions. 

The first Brazilian driver to compete in a Formula 1 race was Francisco "Chico" Landi at the Italian Grand Prix in 1951. However, since the retirement of Felipe Massa at the end of the 2017 season, the country has not had a representative on the grid. Will we have a Brazilian back in Formula 1? Which drivers have the best chances of representing the country? GPblog has made a list of the four Brazilian drivers who are closest to winning that spot.

Felipe Drugovich

The first name on our list is Felipe Drugovich, probably the best known Brazilian driver at the moment. Current leader of the Formula 2 championship, Drugovich has called the attention of Brazilian fans, who see in him the best opportunity for Brazil to have a representative in the grid of the main category of motorsport.

Currently 22 years old, Drugovich started in karting when he was only 8 years old, competing in several national and international championships for top teams such as ART Grand Prix and Kosmic Racing. In 2016 he made his debut in formula cars, competing in the German Formula 4 Championship.

Until arriving in Formula 2, Drugovich competed in several categories such as Euroformula Open, Italian Formula 4, European Formula 3, FIA Formula 3, and won some titles such as the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 in the 2017-18 season, the Spanish Formula 3 Championship in 2018, and the Euroformula Open Championship in 2018.

In 2022, Drugovich is contesting his third season in Formula 2. In his first year in the category in 2020, the driver finished ninth overall, racing for the MP Motosport team. In 2021, for the UNI-Virtuosi team and as teammate of Guanyu Zhou, Felipe finished the championship in seventh position. In the current 2022 season, running again for the MP Motosport team, Drugovich is the championship leader with 39 points ahead of second after eight rounds played. He is the first Brazilian driver to lead a Formula 2 championship.

GPblog interview

In a recent interview granted to GPblog, Drugovich talked about his expectations of getting a spot in Formula 1 next season. When asked if teams in motorsport's highest category were already knocking on his door to offer him a contract, Drugovich was honest in his reply: "No, no, they are not. But I think it is also a little bit early. They need to wait a little longer to see. But there are talks. And I'm hopeful that we can make a deal."

Interestingly, Felipe Drugovich has decided not to be part of any young driver programmes that are developed by Formula One teams. Usually many drivers opt for these programmes as a way to have a better chance of making it to the main category. On that, Drugovich says: "It didn't make any sense for me to be part of a young driver programme. Of course, now, maybe, it could be an option. Because they (talented drivers) only move up the category if they are part of these programs; they become drivers or test drivers. In the past, there was no concrete opportunity that caught my attention. This way, we preferred not to be part of any, at least we were free and not stuck in any kind of programme, at least until now."

This season, new rules say F1 teams are required to give up a car in at least two free practices throughout the year for less experienced drivers. Asked if he believes he will have a chance in a Friday session, Felipe replied, "Yes. Especially now that it is compulsory for teams. I think it's two Free Practice sessions? So yes, I am hopeful that I can drive an F1.

But Drugovich aims much more than a participation in a free practice, he wants to guarantee a definitive spot in a Formula 1 team. However, the Brazilian recognizes that some factors can be an obstacle in his way to the main category. First, the number of available spots for next season is very limited and the Brazilian has two very strong competitors in F2 that have great chances of getting a spot in the main category, which are Théo Pourchaire and Logan Sargeant. Second, Drugovich knows that to reach F1 it is not enough just to have talent, but it is necessary to have a good sponsor.

If Felipe Drugovich wants to go further, he knows he can count on the full support of his current team, MP Motosport. In a recent conversation between GPblog and Sander Dorsman, the Dutch team boss had many compliments to the Brazilian: "We always had a good relationship. In 2020 he was one of the riders in our team and together we managed to achieve some victories. That was also the reason why we wanted him to come back in 2022 (in 2021 Drugovich drove for the UNI-Virtuosi team). We are all happy that he is back. In his third season racing in F2, he has become a much more experienced driver in different areas. It is a perfect marriage between him and the team, and it is his experience that has put us where we are today. It's not magic, but a lot of work."

When asked if Drugovich was good enough to get a spot in F1, Dorsman replied, "That is always a very difficult question to answer. Formula One is not just about talent, of course, but it also involves politics, money, and the support of Brazilian businessmen. That will be crucial for him. I definitely believe that he has shown in F2 that he is a great driver. [Whether he will really be able to take this step forward depends on whether any team will want to bet on him and what their demands will be, as well as he will need business people in Brazil who are willing to invest in his career. I think those questions are very important, but if all that happens, then he will be able to get there.

Vacancy difficult even with F2 title

There are still six races to go until the end of the 2022 Formula 2 season. Winning the category title certainly increases his chances of catching the eye of some Formula 1 team, but it is also not a guarantee that the driver will get there. Even being the championship leader, Drugovich must not be the first option of F1 teams in case any of them wants to count with a young driver. Talents as Pourchaire and Sargeant appear as the favorites of the current grid, but we cannot forget Piastri and de Vries, that even being F2 champions, are still waiting for an opportunity in the main category.

Other Brazilians that can get in the F1

Besides Felipe Drugovich, there are three more Brazilian drivers that in some future moment may appear in Formula 1, they are: Enzo Fittipaldi, Pietro Fittipaldi and Caio Collet. GPblog has prepared a brief summary about each of them so we can analyze what are the real chances of having a Brazilian driver in Formula 1 again. Stay tuned!