Who is Frederik Vesti? Meet Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes Abu Dhabi GP replacement
Frederik Vesti will make his second FP1 appearance of the season in Abu Dhabi this weekend as he replaces Lewis Hamilton at the Yas Marina Circuit. The Mercedes junior driver is being tipped as a potential candidate for a spot on the grid as early as next season, but he remains a relative unknown to casual fans.
Born in Vejle, Denmark, Vesti has been affiliated with the Mercedes junior program since January 2021, although his first notable season in junior series racing came in 2019 when he dominated the Formula Regional European Championship, taking 13 victories on his way to the title.
Vesti then graduated into Formula 3, where he finished fourth in his rookie season behind champion Oscar Piastri, as well as Theo Pourchaire and Logan Sargeant. He finished one place ahead of Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson, who made his F1 debut earlier this season with AlphaTauri.
The Dane made his return to the F3 grid for a second shot at the title in 2021 but couldn’t improve on his previous season’s result, taking just one victory as he finished fourth in the standings for a second successive year.
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After a solid, if unspectacular, rookie Formula 2 campaign with ART Grand Prix last year, Vesti has developed rapidly. The 21-year-old joined PREMA Racing for 2023 and has already notched up five victories as he hopes to beat current points leader Pourchaire to the title this weekend.
Vesti’s first taste of F1 machinery came in 2022 when he completed the post-season young driver test for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi, and he featured in a race weekend for the first time last month, driving in FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix in place of George Russell.
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Compatriot Kevin Magnussen, currently driving for Haas, discussed Vesti’s potential in an interview with Motorsport Week earlier this season, in which he said: “I think the whole of Denmark is very excited for him and about him and hopefully there’ll be a spot in F1 for him in the future.”
His hopes of making the step up to F1 have been boosted heading into the season finale too. A report from F1-Insider stated that Williams team principal James Vowles is keeping a close eye on Vesti’s work this weekend and into next week for the post-season rookie test with the 21-year-old seen as the biggest threat to Sargeant’s seat for 2024.
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