F1: Mercedes' George Russell Replacement Revealed as British Driver to Miss Mexican GP Session

George Russell will not participate in Friday Practise 1 for the Mexican Grand Prix in October because Frederik Vesti will be making his Formula 1 debut. Throughout a season, each team in Formula 1 must allow an inexperienced driver to drive in two practice sessions. There has been no substitute driver used by any team in any of the 12 Grands Prix thus far. At the October race in Mexico, Mercedes plans to alter that from their end. Vesti, a contender for the Formula 2 championship, will have his first experience of an FP1 session during an F1 race weekend thanks to the Silver Arrows. Vesti is a serious contender for the F2 championship this year, trailing leader Theo Pourchaire by just 12 points. He entered the Belgian Grand Prix weekend as the leader, but he came away with just three points in the Sprint and nothing from the Main Event. The 21-year-old had a spin on the way to the grid in the soaking rain, severely damaging his Prema. 

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F1: Frederik Vesti and Mercedes

The 21-year-old's first experience with a Formula 1 car came during the young driver test at last year's season's finale in Abu Dhabi. He drove the W13 for 124 laps.  Since the Team is required to run a rookie for one of the two FP1 sessions, this will be his second time behind the wheel of an F1 vehicle.

Frederik Vesti said: “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 W14 for the first time.”

Toto Wolff, Team Principal of the Mercedes F1 Team said, “Fred 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.”

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F1 Belgian Grand Prix: Mercedes’ Performance at Spa-Francorchamps

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, may have had a favourable view of his and Mercedes' performance in Belgium after finishing fourth, but George Russell, who finished sixth, was glad to see the weekend end. The race started with Max Verstappen dropping five spots on the grid, which allowed Hamilton to advance one spot to fourth. On the first lap, he had a thrilling three-wide battle with Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri into Turn 1. After that, he was able to settle into third place. Then Verstappen went by, leaving Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to fight it out for third place. The Mercedes driver tried his hardest but ultimately finished fourth when his crew decided to take the fastest lap by pitting him at the conclusion of the race.

After suffering throughout the weekend, Russell said in an interview that the summer vacation had come at a good moment for him. But he was certain that he could have finished higher than sixth if the first lap disaster hadn't occurred.