George Russell endorses Frederik Vesti for the 2027 Cadillac Formula 1 seat.
George Russell has identified Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti as a surprising candidate to join Cadillac for the 2027 Formula 1 season.
The American team has yet to confirm Valtteri Bottas as a partner for Sergio Perez - who secured a contract extension on Wednesday - for the upcoming year, with several potential candidates emerging.
Cadillac’s test driver Colton Herta remains a possibility, despite not having a superlicence and a notably disappointing Formula 2 season, while former Haas driver Esteban Ocon is also on the market.
However, Motorsport.com reports that the Frenchman is likely to take on the role of Aston Martin’s reserve, while Vesti is still aiming to make his official F1 debut after finishing second in the 2023 F2 championship.
The 24-year-old has balanced Hypercar responsibilities for Cadillac with his position at Mercedes, where he has participated in seven FP1 sessions, including Friday in Mexico, taking Russell's place.
Frederik Vesti, Mercedes
Vesti finished in third place, just 0.074 seconds behind teammate Kimi Antonelli and 0.733 seconds off Ferrari leader Charles Leclerc, thanks to a late lap on soft tires after various long-run activities.
“He performed very well,” remarked Russell. “I know he's working diligently to secure a chance at the Cadillac seat, and I believe he deserves this opportunity.
“He has invested considerable effort working with our team, and we all hold him in high regard; in most FP1 sessions he has undertaken, he has shouldered the bulk of the workload without really getting performance runs in.
“So it was crucial for us as a team, and I told the team, 'I want to make sure he gets a chance to showcase his abilities, that's the least we could do', so it was gratifying.”
Vesti was “extremely pleased” following FP1, which is more than can be said for Herta, who filled in for Bottas but ended up at the bottom of the timesheet, 3.237 seconds off the pace.
The former IndyCar driver was also 0.970 seconds behind Perez, who finished 18th, but speculation about him securing the Cadillac seat is growing as he is expected to qualify for a superlicence by participating in FP1 in Brazil next week.
Colton Herta, Cadillac Racing
“I aim to give my best for the team,” Herta expressed. “Every time I enter the car, my goal is to be in Formula 1 - that's my objective.
“That's why I'm here doing this. Personally, I want to achieve that as soon as possible. There are many discussions occurring and numerous factors at play beyond my control.
“I’m just focused on delivering my best performance in the car and hope that it leads to something positive.”
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