Formula One team Mercedes have announced that their junior driver Frederik Vesti will take part in the Free Practice 1 session at the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix.
This will be Vesti’s first drive with the Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance (commonly known as “W14”). Vesti, currently taking part in the F2 series, lies second in the Championship with four wins under his belt. Last year, he drove the W13 in the end-of-season young driver test.
Frederik Vesti commented:
“I’m incredibly proud to be doing the FP1 session in Mexico City with the Team – it’s a dream come true. 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 the W14 for the first time.“
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, added:
“Fred [Vesti] 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. 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.“
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, said:
“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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