Vesti to drive in FP1 at Bahrain

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

Mercedes’ test and reserve driver, will be taking over George Russell’s W16 for FP1 at the Bahrain International Circuit, having already assisted the squad with simulator work at Brackley this year.

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

This year, he is dovetailing his Mercedes commitments with a drive in the IMSA Sports Car Championship with the factory backed Action Express Cadillac team.

New for 2025 signing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has already fulfilled the requirements 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.

I am really looking forward to getting my first taste of the W16 in FP1 in Bahrain. 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.
Vesti on the news.