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Mercedes F1 reserve Vesti to drive for Mahindra in Formula E test
Mercedes F1 junior driver Frederik Vesti will join Mahindra for the upcoming Formula E rookie test in Berlin.
The 2023 Formula 2 runner-up will join the team’s reserve driver Kush Maini at the test which will take place on May 13, after the Berlin E-Prix doubleheader at Tempelhof Airport.
“First of all, I’d like to say a big thank you to Fred (Bertrand, Mahindra team principal) for giving me this opportunity. It’s a great chance to test, and to prove myself as a rookie in a new championship,” said Vesti. “It’s an amazing opportunity to learn, which is only going to help me grow as a driver. It’s what motivates me, I’m really looking forward to trying the GEN3 Formula E car, which I understand is quite a challenge.
“That’s probably what I like most about Formula E, it is challenging and the fact it’s a competitive World Championship that attracts some of the best drivers – and teams – is a great platform for me.
“I’ve finished up my preparations together with the team, so now I’m counting down the days until Berlin!”
Vesti, who won the hotly-contested Formula Regional European Championship in 2019 and is set to compete in the European Le Mans series this season in the LMP2 class with Cool Racing, has already been to Mahindra Racing’s headquarters in Banbury in the UK to prepare for the test.
“We’re delighted to welcome Frederik to the team for the Berlin Rookie Test,” said Bertrand. “This event is important for the team, in order to continue our testing programme and development work, but there is an equal focus on giving new talent the opportunity to experience the world of Formula E.
“He’s young, enthusiastic, and very quick – all the right traits for us to give him a chance in the car. His record in the junior categories speaks for itself.
“I’m confident that, with a driver of Frederik’s abilities and experience, and together with Kush, we will be able to have a productive test and keep the team moving forward from there.”
Dominik Wilde
Dominik often jokes that he was born in the wrong country – a lover of NASCAR and IndyCar, he covered both in a past life as a junior at Autosport in the UK, but he’s spent most of his career to date covering the sliding and flying antics of the U.S.’ interpretation of rallycross. Rather fitting for a man that says he likes “seeing cars do what they’re not supposed to do”, previously worked for a car stunt show, and once even rolled a rally car with Travis Pastrana. He was also comprehensively beaten in a kart race by Sebastien Loeb once, but who hasn’t been?
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