Frederick Vesti gets behind the wheel of a Mercedes in Bahrain

      Mercedes reserve driver Frederick Vesti will drive at the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix. In the first training session, the Dane will replace George Russell. For Vesti, this will be the first of two training sessions scheduled for the season as part of the official race weekend.

      Toto Wolff, team principal: "The race in Japan was an example of how things could have been. We showed a good pace in training, but we couldn't implement it in qualifying, which reduced our chances of a good result on Sunday.

      It is difficult to overtake in Suzuka, so in a race with one pit stop, the opportunities to regain positions were limited. But there were some positive moments last weekend. The car has shown its potential again, and if we had been cleaner, we could have been on the podium.

      In Bahrain, we will evaluate the progress made with this year's car. On the highway, there is an increased load on the rear tires due to the abrasive asphalt and high temperatures. In addition, we had problems with this type of track last year.

      Reserve rider Frederik Vesti will contribute to our work this weekend. In the first session of free rides, he will get behind the wheel of George's car, having conducted the first of two mandatory training sessions for beginners.

      Thanks to his simulator work, Frederick has ridden a longer distance on the W16 than any other of our riders. He plays an important role in Brackley, helping in the development of the car. It will be another great opportunity for him, but this time on a real track."

      Frederick Vesti: "I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the W16 for the first time in the first training session in Bahrain. I am glad to have the opportunity to apply my simulator skills on a real track. I am grateful to Mercedes for this opportunity.

      At the beginning of the year, I set myself the goal of making the most of every chance behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car in 2025, and I hope to achieve this in Bahrain. I will do my best to help the team, George and Kimi prepare for the remaining sessions of the weekend."