(Reuters) -Aston Martin's Brazilian Formula One reserve driver Felipe Drugovich will race for Andretti Global in Formula E from December, the electric race team said on Wednesday.
The series' 12th season
starts in Sao Paulo on December 6, the same weekend as Formula One's final round at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina, with Drugovich to be released from his Aston Martin role before then.
The 25-year-old has been an F1 reserve since he won the Formula Two title in 2022 and has supported race regulars Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who are both contracted to Aston Martin for 2026.
Although he has taken part in practice sessions, Drugovich has not been needed as a race stand-in and is now set to be released before the end of the Formula One season.
At Andretti, Drugovich will join Britain's 2022-23 Formula E champion Jake Dennis.
"It’s been far too long for me without racing, so I’m incredibly motivated to get back on a racetrack," said the Brazilian, who has competed in endurance racing since leaving Formula Two as well as testing in Formula E.
"It means a lot to know I’ll be competing in every session and not just serving as a reserve, as I have done the past few years."
Drugovich competed in two Formula E races as a stand-in at Mahindra in July this year, finishing seventh in the second.
Brazil has had two Formula E champions, with Nelson Piquet Jr winning the inaugural title in 2014-15 and Lucas Di Grassi in 2016-17.
Andretti Global is part of TWG Motorsports, who own and operate the Cadillac Formula One team set to debut next season.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
