Danish Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti gets behind the wheel of George Russell's car during the first practice session for the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Frederik Vesti gets a new opportunity in Formula 1. The Danish racing driver will drive for Mercedes in Bahrain. He will take over the car during the first practice session at the upcoming grand prix. This is the first time since 2023 that Vesti will participate in an official F1 session.
It will happen at this weekend's race in Bahrain. Frederik Vesti will borrow George Russell's Mercedes W16 racer. His manager Dorte Riis Madsen confirms this to the media .
Vesti works as a reserve driver for the Mercedes team. He has previously tested for the team. He is also affiliated with McLaren, which gets its engines from Mercedes.
The upcoming practice marks the Dane's first official Formula 1 practice session during a grand prix weekend in a while.
In fact, he hasn't been near a Formula 1 car since December last year.
The timing of the practice has been chosen by Mercedes. The first practice session in Bahrain was conducted under strong sunlight. The warm conditions are not entirely representative of the rest of the weekend.
Qualifying and the race will take place after sunset. Here the temperatures are lower and the track conditions are different. Therefore, Mercedes believes that George Russell will not lose critical driving time.
Vesti is chasing a Formula 1 seat
For Frederik Vesti personally, the timing is an advantage. In the past, his F1 opportunities have been late in the season. It has often been after the contracts for the following year had been negotiated in place.
The early exposure in the season is therefore seen as a positive by Vesti's camp. It gives him the opportunity to prove his worth early on. It could potentially strengthen his position in negotiations for a future F1 seat.
Manager Dorte Riis Madsen explains the importance of the early race. "It means a lot in relation to our general discussions about Formula 1," she says.
– Frederik is put in the car, and the name is kept warm, says Madsen.
She also highlights the significance of the unexpected rookie test Vesti received in December.
– It's important in conversations with different people about the future when they ask how much they get to see him, the manager explains.
– And how much F1 experience he gets this year, that he shows up early."
Rules for F1 rookies and testing
The training in Bahrain is part of the Formula 1 regulations. Each team must provide a driver with limited F1 experience at least two training sessions per season. These drivers are often called rookies.
At Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli has already completed two practice sessions this year. This happened in Australia and Shanghai, where he also spoke as a rookie. Therefore, only George Russell will have to hand over his car for a rookie practice this year.
In addition to Formula 1, Frederik Vesti remains active in other racing series. He recently tested for Cadillac's IMSA sports car team at the Sebring track in the USA. Here, he was the fastest driver in the entire field during the test.
Vesti also spends a lot of time in Mercedes' advanced simulator. It is an important part of his work as a reserve driver and preparation for possible laps.
Formula 1 teams often choose specific circuits to hold mandatory rookie training sessions. The circuits in Bahrain, Barcelona, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi are often used for the purpose.
Frederik Vesti's performance for Mercedes in Bahrain is being closely followed by many Danish fans. If you want to read more about Mercedes, both in Formula 1 and as a car brand in general, you can find news and tests of their road cars on Boosted.dk.
