Frederik Vesti to Step in for George Russell in Mexican GP FP1

Mercedes has announced that reserve driver Frederik Vesti will replace George Russell for the first practice session at the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. This appearance will be Vesti's third FP1 outing of the 2026 season.

Vesti, who joined the Mercedes program in 2021, made his Formula 1 weekend debut at the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix, also stepping in for Russell during FP1. He has participated in six practice sessions so far, making Mexico his seventh. Under F1 regulations, teams are required to field a rookie driver, defined as someone with no more than two Grand Prix starts, in four FP1 sessions throughout the season.

This session will be Vesti’s first time driving Russell’s car, having previously replaced Kimi Antonelli in Barcelona and Hungary. As a result, Russell will have to sit out a practice session in the final rounds of the season.

Simone Resta, Mercedes’ deputy technical director, emphasized the importance of Vesti's role: “This weekend, we’ll have Fred contributing to our development. It’s a very important aspect for us because it bridges our on-track performance with our virtual world.”

Vesti expressed his excitement on social media, noting, “On Friday in Mexico City, I’ll be doing FP1 in George’s W17. Huge thank you to George for letting me drive your car. The last time I drove was in Budapest, so I can’t wait to feel the W17 once again.”

Meanwhile, Mercedes is on the brink of a significant milestone, with Kimi Antonelli just two points away from clinching a maiden world title. He needs only to secure a ninth-place finish on Sunday to become F1’s youngest world champion. As for Russell, he is in a tight battle to maintain second place in the Drivers’ Championship, just one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with Max Verstappen trailing by five points.