Sauber is weighing up a possible attempt to sign Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich as the team’s reserve driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season, according to a report.
Drugovich clinched the Formula 2 title in 2022, but he has been unable to secure a permanent place on the F1 grid and been resigned to test and reserve duties instead.
The Brazilian’s second-tier championship success saw be named as the initial driver to be inaugurated into the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme in 2022.
Drugovich has been with the Silverstone-based ever since, progressing to a reserve role which landed him two outings in FP1 sessions in Mexico and Abu Dhabi in 2024.
With Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll tied down through next season, though, Drugovich has little chance of securing a promotion to the race drive that he desires.
But despite Aston Martin announcing he will retain his role in 2025, Drugovich could be on the move to a rival should purported interest elsewhere lead to an approach.
Blick, a Swiss-German outlet with close ties to Sauber, has indicated that Drugovich is among the options the Audi-owned squad is considering for the vacant reserve position.
The report goes on to state that Drugovich is a candidate alongside Antonio Giovinazzi, who raced with the team when it ran under the Alfa Romeo moniker from 2019 to 2021.
Giovinazzi has built a successful career in the World Endurance Championship with Ferrari since losing his F1 drive, winning the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours back in 2023.
The Italian has also served as a reserve option at Ferrari and recent reports have claimed that he is expected to dovetail that role across 2025 with his WEC endeavours.
Giovinazzi has been tipped to share the role with Oliver Bearman, who’s about to embark upon his rookie F1 campaign with Haas having competed in three races last term.
The speculation has suggested that Bearman will be the one that Ferrari calls upon should new signing Lewis Hamilton or team-mate Charles Leclerc be unavailable.
However, should a change be required mid-race weekend, like in Saudi Arabia last season when Carlos Sainz withdrew prior to FP3, then Giovinazzi would step up to drive.
Ferrari eyeing move for Zhou?
Giovinazzi, though, could be occupied with the Italian marque at a WEC event, prompting speculation that Zhou Guanyu might be signed as a third reserve option.
Zhou spent the last three seasons racing in F1 with Sauber, but he and Valtteri Bottas were both dropped as the team opted to invest in a revised driver line-up for 2025.
The Chinese driver has made clear his intention not to compete elsewhere in other categories as he sets his sights on bagging a return to F1 once new rules arrive in 2026.
Zhou revealed late in 2024 that he has several “good options” on the table, but he is biding his time to ensure that he picks the one that boosts his chances of a comeback.
“Just staying in F1 [is my target],” he told media including Motorsport Week. “It would be in a reserve role, but I don’t know where to go yet. I haven’t decided which decision to make
“We already spoke to some teams already before the [Sauber exit] announcement was released, but after the announcement a few other teams approached us, so quite a few good options I see my future with.
“But for me, I feel like I’m in a position where there’s no rush to make a decision because I need to make sure I’m in a team that can give me a chance to have a seat back [on the grid] and also in a team that I can continue to grow as a driver.
“We need to take a bit more time. It won’t be decided very [soon or in the] next months.”
Ferrari reunion interests Zhou
When asked about the reports that a reunion with Ferrari could be on the cards, Zhou replied: “Everybody [would] love to be driving in red, especially for the race seat.
“For the reserve [role], they show some interest so we are discussing it. There’s other options as well, so there’s no one team or the other I would prefer to join.
“I just want to make sure I’m in a team that has a good or competitive car that I can continue to learn and continue to learn for myself, from a driver’s and team perspective.
“And also [a team] trying to get me out there, doing some testing and taking the reserve role to work on the development as well.
“I would say you will see me in the paddock. Which colour, I don’t know, so I’ll leave that TBC.”
Zhou partnering with Ferrari could see him come into the mix to drive with Cadillac, the General Motors-backed team that has an agreement in principle to enter F1 in 2026.
Cadillac has committed to constructing its own engine from 2028, but it will utilise an initial technical partnership with Ferrari to source both a power unit and a gearbox.
READ MORE – Why Nico Hulkenberg believes a Haas-like F1 turnaround is ‘possible’ for Sauber in 2025
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