MEXICO CITY – Freddie Slater saw the bright side from an ultimately frustrating Formula 1 debut with Audi in Mexico City, but conveyed his pride at making history for the German marque.
The British teenager was handed a dream first outing in an F1 car at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez last Friday, as one of 10 rookies taking part in FP1.
It capped off a remarkable year for Slater, who narrowly missed out on the Formula 3 title in his first attempt, and as a result has been given a golden opportunity in Formula 2 with Invicta next season.
Slater had already made history by being the Audi squad‘s first junior programme signing, and furthered that by stepping into 2026 F1 machinery in Mexico, having completed just one TPC test prior to the weekend earlier in the summer.
But it was a gutting afternoon in many respects, as Slater was forced to abandon most of the session after mechanics left a cooling fan on the side of the car as he went out on his first run.
It damaged the R26 to an extent that Slater missed most of the session, and also costing the team €7,500 from the FIA.
However, the 18-year-old was able to complete two late push runs, but the delay condemned him to finishing the session bottom of the pile.
Speaking to media, including Motorsport Week, after FP2, Slater was philosophical about the error from the team, taking the best bits from a “really historic day”.
“Yeah, for sure [it’s frustrating], but at the end of the day, it’s motorsport, and that’s how things go,” he said.
“We’re a team and we win as a team and we lose as a team, so of course it was a bit frustrating obviously not to get many, many laps.
“But overall, that one lap that I did do was actually pretty good compared to relevant data, and a really historic day for Audi to have their first junior driver in the car – it’s a very special day, so we look at the positives and then we focus on the results.”
Slater admits ‘intensity’ of Audi F1 experience in Mexico
Given his current junior experience, and the unique altitude levels, the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit would have been, in some respects, a baptism of fire for Slater as a track on which to make his F1 debut.
With his first F2 outings yet to take place, Slater acknowledged the ‘intensity’ of jumping from F3 to F1 with his singular TPC outing and simulator work his only reference points.
“[The circuit is] Definitely an outlier, the car feels very weird,” he admitted. “Obviously not a lot of aero load because of the altitudes, but also with these cars, with how the battery works, the amount of boost that you get off the corner is incredible.
“So, obviously compared to F3 – I haven’t even driven an F2 car yet – a big step from F3 cars, so yeah it’s pretty intense, but I really enjoyed those couple of laps that I got.
READ MORE – Audi reveals one off livery for F1 Sao Paulo GP
Discussion about this post