Vesti to make F1 practice debut with Mercedes in Mexico

Mercedes has announced that Formula 2 title contender Frederik Vesti will make his FP1 debut for the team at the Mexico City Grand Prix later this year.

Teams are still mandated to run a rookie on two occasions in FP1s during the season, but only McLaren, Williams and AlphaTauri – through rookie race drivers Oscar Piastri, Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries – have so far completed one of the two sessions courtesy of the season opener in Bahrain. Mercedes has become the first team to announce a future run, with Vesti - who led the F2 championship until crashing on the way to the grid before the feature race in Spa - in the car in Mexico.

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“I'm incredibly proud to be doing the FP1 session in Mexico City with the team – it's a dream come true,” Vesti said. “To think in less than three months that I'll be doing my first official Formula 1 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.”

Vesti is currently second in the F2 championship – 12 points behind Theo Pourchaire – and the Mercedes junior took part in the young driver test in Abu Dhabi last year, with team principal Toto Wolff saying an FP1 is a natural progression.

“Fred has executed an impressive Formula 2 campaign so far this season,” Wolff said. “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.”

Vesti has also worked with Mercedes at its factory as one of the team’s simulator drivers alongside Mick Schumacher, and trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin believes that role will be boosted by the experience of the current car.

“Fred acquitted himself faultlessly in the young driver test last year so we're looking forward to having him in the car once again,” Shovlin said. “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.