The reason George Russell won’t drive for Mercedes in FP1
It is part of the mandatory allocation of rookie sessions throughout the F1 2022 season.
De Vries remains a Mercedes test driver for the remainder of this season and his appearance on track on Friday will be a sign of things to come.
The talented Dutchman is in the F1 2023 driver line-up after signing for AlphaTauri, where he will partner Yuki Tsunoda.
It is the first full-time drive of De Vries’ career.
He earned rave reviews, including from Lewis Hamilton, after racing for Williams as a replacement for the ill Alex Albon earlier this season.
The two points that De Vries earned in his sole race at Monza are equal to Williams’ other driver Nicholas Latifi in the F1 standings, and just two behind Albon.
Russell will return to the W13 for the second practice session in Mexico.
