Formula 2 title contender Frederik Vesti will make his debut in a Formula 1 race weekend by driving for Mercedes in practice at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Vesti, who is part of Mercedes’ junior team, is expected to take over George Russell’s car for the first practice session. He drove a modern F1 car for the first time last year, when Mercedes called him up for the official post-season test at the Yas Marina circuit.All 10 teams are required to hand each of their cars to an inexperienced driver in at least one practice session over the course of the season. No team has publicly nominated any drivers for this yet, although rookie Nyck de Vries fulfilled the requirement for one of AlphaTauri’s cars at the season opener as he had yet to exceed the maximum limit of two grand prix starts.
Mercedes began backing Vesti’s career at the start of 2021, after he finished fourth in his rookie season of FIA Formula 3. Vesti finished in the same position in his sophomore campaign, taking one win, then in his rookie F2 year he also won a race and took a pole.
He trails Theo Pourchaire by 12 points with six races remaining. If Vesti wins the title he would not be allowed to stay in the series next year.
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Facts&Stats
31st July 2023, 15:52
Can I then assume Sargeant’s and Piastri’s car have passed the same requirement?
Jere (@jerejj)
31st July 2023, 17:58
Yes
Ajayrious (@ajayrious)
31st July 2023, 16:38
I was thinking this rule had been quietly dropped as we’ve heard so little about it this season. Glad to see it remains with us (although not a fraction of the testing/preparation young drivers deserve).
I assume we will see Palou or O’Ward in Norris’s McLaren at COTA maybe? and Pourchaire in an Alfa/Sauber at some point. Drugovich at Aston Martin. Lawson in a Red Bull at Suzuka would be interesting as well given where he’s been racing this season.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st July 2023, 18:07
@ajayrious COTA is unsuitable for the purpose this season because that track has the sprint format, meaning the sole practice session is vital for all regular drivers.
For the same reason, Losail & Interlagos are also non-options, while Marina Bay is off because maximizing practime time for regular drivers is important on temporary circuits, meaning the same equally applies to LV + that circuit is new to all.
Lawson driving in RB19 in Japanese GP FP1 is possible, as is any other non-regular driving in Dutch, Italian, Mexico City, or Abu Dhabi GP FP1, so all teams have to fulfil the minimum requirement in these five events.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st July 2023, 18:01
I thought the requirement was for two practice sessions per season, but anyway, an unsurprising choice, although what’s surprising is that no team has used any viable FP1 opportunities thus far, which would’ve been in Sakhir, Montmelo, Silverstone, & Hungaroring.
From the remaining ten circuits, only Zandvoort, Monza, Suzuka, AHR, & YMC are viable because the others are either temporary circuits (one of them also new for all) & or have sprint format.
Simon
31st July 2023, 21:49
If you’d written “Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez” or “Mexico” then it might have made sense…
Jere (@jerejj)
1st August 2023, 7:22
How? Acronym is perfectly fitting.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
31st July 2023, 19:57
I’m not watching any more sprints, but seeing some of these lads racing an F1 car in one might have changed my mind.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
31st July 2023, 22:28
That’s a very interesting thought: Require teams to use non-F1 drivers in the Sprint race.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
1st August 2023, 4:43
Currently the F2 season finishes about the same time as the Formula One season does, by which time all of the F1 seats have been contracted out. Wouldn’t it make more sense to start the F2 season earlier in the year and to have it finish about this time of the year, so at least the F2 Champion is known? All or most of the seats which were going to be open for contract this year are still available now, but they won’t be in November.
Jere (@jerejj)
1st August 2023, 7:23
@drycrust Apparently Abu Dhabi also pays for holding the F2 finale.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
1st August 2023, 8:19
@jerejj Maybe they’d be happy with starting the season.