Mercedes’ take a look at and reserve driver Fred Vesti will get behind the wheel of W16 within the opening apply at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, changing George Russell.
The Dane will change George Russell for the opening session in Sakhir, in keeping with F1 laws which state each driver on the grid should vacate their seat for a rookie for 2 FP1 periods in a season.
This can be Vesti’s third rookie session, having beforehand pushed for the Brackley-based group in FP1 in Mexico and Abu Dhabi in 2023.
A rookie is classed as a driver who has began two or fewer Grands Prix. As such, Mercedes’ rookie driver Kimi Antonelli has already accomplished his two periods for 2025, in Australia and China.
The weekend will give Vesti the prospect to place his experience within the simulator to the take a look at on the monitor, having spent the primary a part of the 12 months exhausting at work with the group in Brackley.
The Danish driver is combining this function along with his first season with endurance racing in america, the place he’s competing in IMSA with Cadillac.
Commenting on his newest outing, Vesti mentioned: “I’m actually trying ahead to getting my first style of the W16 in FP1 in Bahrain. Having the ability to put all of my simulator work into apply on the monitor is a very thrilling prospect for me.
“At first of the 12 months, I set myself the aim of maximising each likelihood I get behind the wheel of an F1 automobile in 2025, and that’s what I hope to attain in Bahrain.
“I can be doing the whole lot I can to assist the group, George, and Kimi get set for the remainder of the weekend. I’m grateful to Mercedes for as soon as once more giving me this chance.”
