Frederik Vesti was the Formula 2 runner-up and is part of the Mercedes young driver program. However, after two seasons in the main Formula 1 feeder series, he still doesn’t have a place in the premier category – being speculated as an option for Logan Sargeant’s seat at Williams.
After the Abu Dhabi GP, the team boss of the Grove outfit, James Vowles, acknowledged the progress of the American but admitted to the championship’s official website that a decision has not yet been made. However, Gwen Lagrue, who heads the Mercedes young driver program, dismissed the Danish driver as an option for Williams by stating to Ekstra Bladet:
“Fred ended up with six victories, while Théo [Pourchaire] became champion with only one. But we didn’t lose the championship in Abu Dhabi. We lost it in Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, and Monza. It cost us some momentum and had an impact on the discussions during the summer.”
It is not clear what discussions are involved, but it is believed that they also involved Sauber – which ultimately kept Guanyu Zhou alongside Valtteri Bottas. As for Vesti’s future, Lagrue stated: “After the Abu Dhabi test, I will sit down with Fred and Dorte [Riis Madsen, agent] and talk about the future. But it is already certain that he will be part of the Mercedes family in the future. We have a lot of work for him.”
