George Russell backs Vesti for Cadillac’s 2027 F1 seat

George Russell has backed Frederik Vesti as a worthy contender for Cadillac’s vacant 2027 seat after the Mercedes reserve driver impressed in first practice at the Mexican Grand Prix. The American team has confirmed Sergio Perez for next season, but has yet to announce who will partner him.

Vesti took Russell’s car for Friday’s session and finished third, 0.074 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli and 0.733 seconds off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. His position came after a late soft-tyre lap, following a programme focused on longer runs.

Russell says Vesti has earned a serious opportunity

Russell praised Vesti’s work with Mercedes and said the Dane deserved the chance to show what he could do. He noted that Vesti had often been given substantial work in practice rather than performance-focused runs, and said he had pushed for the reserve driver to get an opportunity to demonstrate his pace.

The 24-year-old is still seeking his first official F1 start, having finished runner-up in the 2023 Formula 2 standings. Alongside his Mercedes reserve role, he has also undertaken Hypercar duties for Cadillac and has now completed seven FP1 appearances. Readers can look back at Vesti’s earlier Mercedes FP1 involvement and his wider work with the team.

Cadillac’s second seat remains undecided

Perez signed a contract extension on Wednesday, leaving the other seat unconfirmed. Valtteri Bottas has not been announced as his team-mate, while Cadillac test driver Colton Herta and outgoing Haas driver Esteban Ocon have also emerged as possible options.

Herta drove for Cadillac in the session, but ended at the bottom of the timesheets, 3.237 seconds off the pace and 0.970 seconds behind Perez. His bid remains complicated by his current lack of a superlicence, though taking part in FP1 in Brazil next week could put him in position to qualify for one.

Ocon is also available, but the source report says he is expected to become Aston Martin’s reserve. Vesti, meanwhile, has made a timely case on track: his Mexico result gives Russell’s endorsement a concrete performance behind it, even as Cadillac’s final decision remains open.