George Russell to sit out Mexico session as Mercedes junior debuts
Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti will get behind the wheel of George Russell’s W14 in the Mexico City GP FP1 session.
Vesti, a member of the Mercedes junior team since 2021, is currently impressing in the Formula 2 category as he battles Sauber junior Théo Pourchaire for the title.
And his strong performances have caught the eye of Mercedes, who will give the Danish prospect his first experience of the W14 when he takes part in the first practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix in late October.
Frederik Vesti hails upcoming Mercedes debut as “dream come true”
每一个Formula 1 team is required to run a ‘rookie’ driver in two FP1 sessions across the season, defined as a racer with less than two grands prix of experience.
“I’m incredibly proud to be doing the FP1 session in Mexico City with the team – it’s a dream come true,” said Vesti.
“To think in less than two months that I’ll be doing my first official Formula One session with Mercedes, who have won eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships, is amazing.
“This has been my dream since I was very young and something I’ve been fighting for through my whole junior career.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work, and this is a very important step for me on my journey. To be able to develop myself in an F1 car alongside some of the best drivers in the world is something I’m looking forward to.
“I want to thank Mercedes for this incredible opportunity, as well as my sponsors and manager for always believing in me. I can’t wait to be driving W14 for the first time.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes that with Vesti impressing in Formula 2, this FP1 outing will now serve as the next key step in his progression.
“弗雷德已经令人印象深刻的公式2活动执行n so far this season,” said Wolff. “Driving in an FP1 session is the next step in his development and we’re looking forward to giving him that opportunity.
“He is a talented young driver, not only quick but thoughtful, and he understands exactly what the team is looking for from him in the car. I am sure he will perform well and provide a solid starting point for our work over the weekend.”
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Mercedes’ trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin added: “Fred acquitted himself faultlessly in the young driver test last year so we’re looking forward to having him in the car once again.
“He’s shown what he is capable of in F2 this year, combining strong pace with consistency.
“Fred has been part of the team for several years now and has been a key part of our simulator development and set-up programme.
“We’re therefore looking forward to giving him his first running in an F1 session on a Grand Prix weekend; that will be another useful step in his development and prove useful in being able to correlate the real-world car with his work back in Brackley. I’m sure he will enjoy the experience.”
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