George Russell has thrown his support behind Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti as a potential candidate for a Formula 1 seat with Cadillac, believing the Dane deserves a genuine opportunity to demonstrate his ability.
Vesti took part in Friday’s opening practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing an impressive third, just 0.074 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. It was another opportunity for the 24-year-old to demonstrate his potential, but Russell believes previous appearances in FP1 had not allowed him to show his true pace.
The Mercedes driver even personally intervened to ensure Vesti received a better opportunity in Mexico.
Russell believes Vesti deserves his F1 opportunity
Vesti has participated in seven Formula 1 practice sessions as Mercedes’ reserve driver. However, according to Russell, the Dane has frequently been given difficult assignments that prevented him from demonstrating his outright speed.
Russell was particularly pleased that Mercedes allowed Vesti to approach the Mexican Grand Prix session differently.
“He did incredibly well,” Russell said after the session.
“I know he is doing everything he can to stand a chance at a seat at Cadillac, and as far as I’m concerned, he deserves that opportunity.”
Vesti has invested considerable time in Mercedes’ development programme and also has a connection with Cadillac through its Hypercar project.
Russell believes those contributions, combined with Vesti’s ability behind the wheel, make him worthy of serious consideration for a Formula 1 promotion.
Russell personally pushed Mercedes to give Vesti a chance
The British driver revealed that he had spoken to the Mercedes team about ensuring Vesti received a proper opportunity during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.
“He has put a lot of time and energy into his work for our team and we all have enormous respect for him,” Russell explained.
“During most of the first free practice sessions in which he participated, he was mainly assigned the toughest tasks. He hardly had the opportunity to drive fast laps.”
Russell wanted that situation to change.
“That is why I thought it was important that we, as a team, give him that chance. I also told the team that I wanted him to have the opportunity to show what he is capable of. That is the least we could do for him. So it was great that this was ultimately possible,” he added.
Vesti’s third-place finish provided an encouraging response, putting him just behind Antonelli in the session.
Cadillac’s driver situation opens another door
Vesti’s performance comes at an interesting moment for Cadillac as the American manufacturer continues to shape its Formula 1 driver line-up.
Sergio Pérez has already been confirmed for the 2027 season, but Valtteri Bottas’ future remains a subject of speculation.
The Finn has yet to receive confirmation of his position for next year, with questions continuing over Cadillac’s longer-term driver plans.
Vesti is now another name being discussed as a potential candidate, although he faces competition from Colton Herta.
The American remains interested in making the move to Formula 1, but his immediate prospects have been complicated by his superlicence situation following a points calculation error.
For Vesti, the Mexican Grand Prix represents an opportunity to strengthen his credentials. Having impressed Russell and demonstrated his pace against established F1 drivers, the Dane has given Cadillac another reason to consider him.
Whether that translates into a race seat remains to be seen, but Russell has made his position clear: Vesti deserves the chance to prove himself in Formula 1.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
