Young Mercedes talent to drive in FP1 at F1 Bahrain Grand Prix

Frederik Vesti will drive for Mercedes in the opening practice session for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

Mercedes’ reserve and test driver Vesti will take over George Russell’s W15 for FP1 at the Bahrain International Circuit on 11 April, having already assisted the squad with simulator work at Brackley this year.

This would be the Dane’s third appearance in a grand prix weekend, having also driven in FP1 for Mercedes in Mexico and Abu Dhabi in 2023.

In 2025, Vesti is dovetailing his Mercedes F1 commitments with a drive in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with the factory-backed Action Express Cadillac team.

“I am really looking forward to getting my first taste of the W16 in FP1 in Bahrain,” said Vesti.

“Being able to put all of my simulator work into practice on the track is a really exciting prospect for me.

“At the start of the year, I set myself the goal of maximising every chance I get behind the wheel of an F1 car in 2025, and that is what I hope to achieve in Bahrain.

“I will be doing everything I can to help the team, George, and Kimi get set for the rest of the weekend.

“I am grateful to Mercedes for once again giving me this opportunity.”

All teams are required to provide four practice outings to rookies in 2025, up from two last year. 

New-for-2025 signing Andrea Kimi Antonelli already fulfilled the requirement for Mercedes in Australia and China, but now that the Italian has completed two grands prix, he is no longer considered a rookie for this purpose.

The Sakhir circuit is seen as an ideal venue for F1 teams to bring in newcomers, as they already have a substantial amount of data from the track during pre-season testing in February.

Following Bahrain, Mercedes will be required to bring in a rookie for one more practice session this season.