Mercedes announces George Russell to be replaced for Mexican GP FP1

This weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix, George Russell will sit out for Free Practice One (FP1) on Friday.

Instead of Russell driving, it will be the Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti behind the wheel for the third time in an FP1 session in 2026.

It is not unusual for a driver like Vesti to participate in FP1, as under F1’s regulations, teams are required to enter a rookie driver in four FP1 sessions over the course of a season.

Vesti has already had two FP1 appearances, replacing Kimi Antonelli in Barcelona and Hungary, but this will be the first time in 2026 that he has replaced Russell.

Meaning that Vesti will still have to appear in a further FP1 session this year in the British drivers' cars to meet the quota set by F1.

Simone Resta, Mercedes’ deputy technical director, said, “This weekend, we’ll have Fred contributing to our development, he’s going to be sitting in George’s car for FP1.

“It’s a very important aspect for us because it’s the ideal bridge between our performance on track and our virtual world.

“And his good contributions given to a team, we really appreciate this work from him.”

“I have some good news to share with you,” said Vesti. 

“On Friday in Mexico City, I’ll be doing FP1 in George’s W17. So, huge thank you to George for letting me drive your car.

“The last time I drove was in Budapest, so a lot has happened on this car since. So I can’t wait to feel W17 once again.

“Thank you to the team for letting me drive, it means a lot. So let’s go do it. See you in Mexico.”

Vesti has been a reserve driver for Mercedes since 2024, but has been a part of their junior setup since 2021, and made his F1 debut in a FP1 session at the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix.

For the 2026 season, Vesti has been promoted to the rank of third driver within the Mercedes setup after Valtteri Bottas returned to full-time racing with Cadillac.