Felipe Dolgovic says he recognizes the ‘pressure’ of being the next Brazilian in F1 but wants to use it as ‘motivation’.
Of the many countries that have shaped F1’s 72-year history, few have left more of an impact than Brazil. In Brazil, with a population of more than 200 million people, many continue to strive for the pinnacle of motorsport, but only a few have achieved that highest honor.
Brazil has won 101 F1 races, a number only Britain and Germany can beat, and has won three of them: Nelson Piquet, Emerson Fittipaldi and perhaps the most legendary figure in F1 history, Ayrton Senna. produced a world champion.
Therefore, any driver who drives with the blue, yellow or green Brazilian flag is under scrutiny from the world’s most wanted country.
There are a total of 31 Brazilian drivers, with current F2 champion Felipe Dolgovic hoping to join.
Felipe Dolgovic, 22, was announced as the first member of Aston Martin F1’s driver development program in September and will become the team’s reserve driver in 2023.
Felipe Dolgovic has admitted he feels “pressure” to become the next Brazilian driver in F1, but wants to use it as motivation for his potential career in F1.
Felipe Dolgovic told PlanetF1 at the F1 Brazilian Grand Prix, “It’s the first time I can actually experience a home GP.”
“When you walk in and out of the hotel in the morning, people are already asking for pictures.”
“[Being Brazilian]feels really good. Of course it comes with a little pressure, but people care regarding who is representing their country, so that’s a good pressure that serves as a motivation.”
But Felipe Dolgovic, the newest addition to the Aston Martin F1 paddock, is not without ambition. His ultimate goal is to win the Formula 1 World Championship, revealing that he signed with Aston Martin F1 only following the chance of a permanent seat was no longer an option.
“We made a decision around Zandvoort,” said Felipe Dolgovic.
“We were looking at what was possible, what was on the table, and we had quite a long discussion.”
“Obviously being on the grid is a big opportunity, so I didn’t want to miss a big opportunity. When I realized it was impossible to be on the grid, the best option was Aston Martin.”
Felipe Dolgovic completed the 300km F1 test at Silverstone and also participated in FP1 with Lance Stroll’s machine at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP.
“It was great and a really good experience,” said Felipe Dolgovic of his first drive in a Formula 1 car at Silverstone.
“A dream come true. I really enjoyed it. The weather wasn’t the best, but I managed to complete 300km.”
“The downforce is huge. Braking is also quite different.”
Felipe Dolgovic has already spoken to Fernando Alonso as ‘the right person to learn’.
Transferred from the Alpine F1 team to replace Sebastian Vettel when Fernando Alonso retires. Dolgovic is not the only newcomer to wear the British Racing Green of Aston Martin F1 in 2023.
For 22-year-old Felipe Dolgovic, there is no better teacher to learn from than two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso.
“He doesn’t need an introduction. He’s been really nice to me,” said Felipe Dolgovic.
“I hope I can learn a lot from him next year. He is the right person to learn from.”
The arrival of Felipe Dolgovic and the development of the driver program are part of Aston Martin F1’s efforts to not only be race winners, but also championship contenders.
Felipe Dolgovic said he was impressed with what he saw at Aston Martin F1, saying the team shares his goal of ‘making it work’.
“My main goal for next year is to gain as much experience as possible. It’s a new team for me, so I’m going to follow the team and learn as much as I can.
“Driving is obviously the best thing you can do to gain experience, but you can also follow the briefing.”
“The ambition to make this driving program work is quite high. I was the first to get involved in it and they are really happy to make it work. So am I.”
“I hope we can work really hard to be there[on the F1 grid]one day and start this program the right way.”
Category: F1 / aston martin / Fernando Alonso
