George Russell will sit out FP1 at the Mexican GP to make way for Frederik Vesti in a mandated rookie practice session.
Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti will get behind the wheel of the W17 in Mexico for the third time in 2026. Vesti took part in FP1s in Barcelona and Hungary in Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, making Mexico his first session in Russell’s car.
F1 teams are required to run four rookie practice sessions throughout the season, with two outings per car. A final rookie session has yet to be announced by Mercedes but Vesti is expected to have another appearance over the last few races of 2026.
“On Friday in Mexico City, I’ll be doing FP1 in George’s W17. So, huge thank you to George for letting me drive your car,” Vesti said.
“The last time I drove was in Budapest, so a lot has happened on this car since. So I can’t wait to feel W17 once again.
“Thank you to the team for letting me drive, it means a lot. So let’s go do it. See you in Mexico.”
Mercedes reveals Fredrik Vesti’s “very important” contribution to development
Vesti has been part of the Mercedes stable since 2021, making his F1 debut for the team in FP1 at the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix. In 2026, he was promoted from reserve driver, a role which he has held since 2024, to third driver after Valterri Bottas moved to a full-time racing seat with Cadillac.
Mercedes’ deputy technical director Simone Resta said: Simone Resta, Mercedes’ deputy technical director, said, “This weekend, we’ll have Fred contributing to our development, he’s going to be sitting in George’s car for FP1.
“It’s a very important aspect for us because it’s the ideal bridge between our performance on track and our virtual world.
“And his good contributions given to a team, we really appreciate this work from him.”
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