Photo by Joe Portlock – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
The young Mercedes driver will take George Russell’s spot in FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix
Formula 1 has reached the August shutdown, but that does not mean the news has stopped as well.
August typically marks the start of the summer “silly season,” when rumors about driver movement for the upcoming season begin to fly. This year’s silly season kicked into gear a bit early with the sacking of Nyck de Vries, as AlphaTauri replaced him with veteran driver Daniel Ricciardo.
While we wait for more rumors to flood our inboxes and timelines over the next few weeks, we do have some news from Mercedes. The Silver Arrows announced on Tuesday that Frederik Vesti, a member of their junior team currently competing in Formula 2, will take George Russell’s spot in the first practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix in October.
Vesti is enjoying a strong year in F2, currently sitting second in the Drivers’ standings to Théo Pourchaire. Vesti has four victories on the season, including a win in the F2 Feature Race at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
“I’m incredibly proud to be doing the FP1 session in Mexico City with the Team – it’s a dream come true,” said Vesti in the team’s announcement. “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,” added Vesti. “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.”
Under F1 rules, each team is required to run a rookie driver — defined as a driver with less than two grands prix of experience — in two FP1 sessions throughout the season. This will be one of the two such sessions for Mercedes in 2023.
“Fred has executed an impressive Formula 2 campaign so far this season. Driving in an FP1 session is the next step in his development and we’re looking forward to giving him that opportunity,” added Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. “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.”
