Ludo van Denderen is a motorsport journalist at GPblog, specializing in Formula 1 and international racing series.
Mercedes will line up in 2027 with the same drivers as this season. That means that alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, the Dane Frederik Vesti will, in principle, serve as the third driver, GPblog understands.
Mercedes has never made a secret of its desire to continue next year with the established duo of Antonelli and Russell. These drivers occupy the top two positions in the world championship and appear set to decide between themselves who will ultimately be crowned Lando Norris’s successor. At the moment, Antonelli holds the best cards, although Russell clawed back a number of points from him last weekend in Azerbaijan.
Mercedes also wants to stick with Frederik Vesti, the now 24-year-old Dane who has been affiliated with the German team since 2021. Within the outfit, Vesti has developed into a highly valued asset, always positive and able to provide excellent feedback.
Vesti active with Mercedes for years
In the first years of the partnership, Vesti competed in the feeder series to Formula 1. A definitive step up to F1 did not materialize, although Vesti did become one of the reserve drivers for the 2024 season.
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A year later, Vesti remained in that role, but had Valtteri Bottas ahead of him in the pecking order as the third driver. After Bottas left Mercedes for a full-time seat at Cadillac, Vesti was promoted to third driver. He will continue in that role in 2027.
By now, Vesti has participated in six Formula 1 free practice sessions. The Dane regularly races in IMSA, the American counterpart to the World Endurance Championship (WEC). It is unknown whether Vesti will remain active in the US.
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