Grand Prix of Long Beach

There are days when you’re especially grateful for your teammate. That was certainly the case at Long Beach, where Frederik Vesti took on a brand-new circuit in an IMSA sprint race for Whelen Cadillac Racing, sharing the car with his regular endurance co-driver, Jack Aitken.

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Jack was absolutely on it today. He took us from P4 to P1. He made a move into Turn 1 for the first pass, picked off the next car in Turn 5, and then grabbed the lead in traffic about 20 minutes in.

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I got in the car after 32 minutes. The No. 93, which was running second behind us, pitted one lap after we did. Everything was going perfectly—until a full course yellow came out about 10 seconds too early (from our point of view!) and the entire field easing the throttle.

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Vesti was caught out, and the timing of the full course yellow coincided with the No. 93 rejoining at pit exit—so the lead was suddenly gone.

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We just didn’t have the pace advantage or the track position to make a move. I did a really strong stint—quick, consistent, and close—but not close enough. It’s exactly like Monaco. Overtaking is nearly impossible unless traffic comes into play.

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There were four full course yellows during my stint alone. We finished P2. It’s frustrating—but at the same time, it’s a good kind of frustration when you’re disappointed with second place. Both my teammate and I executed perfectly. The team was flawless. It just came down to bad luck with the strategy and the timing of the yellow. No one to blame. The racing gods weren’t on our side today 😉 But we scored strong points and now lead the championship.

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For Vesti, this race was more than just another result. It was a benchmark for his personal targets—and directly relevant to his role as third driver for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.

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Super cool to race on a street circuit. By my second lap, I was already matching—or beating—drivers with many years of experience in the series. One of my goals was to be on the pace immediately. For me, this is also preparation for F1: stepping into unfamiliar conditions and delivering right away. It worked—we came home with another trophy and five consecutive podiums. Top dollar! I’m really proud of all of us 😉 This weekend was a perfect symbiosis between driver and team. That’s a great feeling.

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The week ahead includes simulator work for Vesti with Mercedes, a speaking engagement as part of Mercedes-Benz’s 140th anniversary celebrations, and then a trip to Mallorca for another cycling session.