Vesti remembers the 'downpour of missiles' during the turmoil of the Bahrain test.

      Frederik Vesti has shared how he found himself in the midst of the escalating turmoil in the Middle East when his scheduled Formula 1 test was suddenly cancelled. The Mercedes reserve driver was set to participate in a Pirelli test in Bahrain right before the season began—his first real experience in the 2026 car—when the outbreak of conflict led Formula 1 to suspend operations in the area.

      "At 8 in the morning in the hotel gym, I saw the news about the American-Israeli attack on TV," Vesti told Ekstra Bladet. "I thought it was quite violent. And yes, we were right next to it. But none of us anticipated that there would suddenly be a barrage of drones and missiles in the neighboring countries."

      The situation deteriorated quickly once he arrived at the circuit. "He had just gotten to the circuit when they first heard the sirens," the report mentioned. "In the garage, the team had ceased their work. When we checked our phones, we saw that the initial targets had been struck in Bahrain," Vesti explained. "We realized it was more serious than anyone had anticipated. We then returned to the hotel and stayed there for five days."

      The exit from the region turned out to be equally dramatic. "We waited for three hours on the bridge, which was subsequently hit by a drone two hours later," he said. "They closed the airspace due to that drone, and we had to sleep on the floor of the airport for ten hours before we could fly out the next morning."

      Vesti eventually made his way back to Europe via Saudi Arabia and Cairo. The cancellation cost him a vital opportunity to drive the Mercedes W17 for the first time outside of the simulator. "It would have been great to have driven the new car for a few days beforehand, but it didn’t work out this time," he admitted. The Dane is now optimistic for another opportunity later in the season. "There should be a first practice session very soon," the 24-year-old mentioned. "I haven’t received any confirmation yet, but likely within a couple of months."