NEWS - 10. December 2024

YOUNG DRIVER TEST IN ABU DHABI

It wasn't planned. On Saturday, Vesti finished sim preparation for his two teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and is ready for another sim session on Monday in Brackley. But fortunately, the phone was not in silent mode this very early Sunday morning. Because important messages started ticking in that Vesti had to get out of bed immediately and catch the next flight from Heathrow!! Mercedes' new driver from 2025, Kimi Antonelli, was scheduled to drive the W15 at the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi according to the original plan, but had fallen ill.

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I prepared myself mentally that I wouldn't have to get in the car if Kimi recovered completely. You don't want anyone sick, but of course I dreamed of getting the chance now that the situation was as it was. I haven't driven F1 since November last year - also then for the Young Driver test, but every day in 2024 is used to prepare myself to be max. ready should the chance arise again.

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And that chance came to pass on Tuesday morning.

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You can't look at yourself from the outside, but you do sense that your smile is bigger than it has been for the entire year when you've had a W15 on your hands!! Absolutely fantastic to be in the car again ;-)).

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Vesti's morning session was more than approved. At lunchtime Vesti finished fastest of all the non-F1 drivers and clocked in as 3rd fastest driver on the medium tire after Sainz and Leclerc.

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Getting the opportunity was great, but time was short until lunch, when Kimi took over in the car again. I had to find the rhythm and speed that are essential to deliver as soon as I get in the car.

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To the Danish newspaper "Ekstrabladet" and journalist Jonas Hüttel, Vesti's comments after the test were as follows:

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I drove on the hard tire compound all day with a lot of fuel. That is, long runs of ten laps and then six laps. It was with a focus on development and some tests that the team had prepared. The program was the same as Kimi should have driven, but instead it was me who took over the car.

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It has gone insanely well. I finished on medium and with a little less fuel. The time was 1.25.1 and should have been 1.24.7, but a driver was parked in the last turn. That is, I lost three or four tens there. So I would have matched Norris' fastest lap time.

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It was a bit of a shame, but the team knows it, and it was clear, because I had done it the previous lap through sector three. So really positive, even though I haven't raced for a year, I was right on pace. It was important for me to jump in the car and perform right away, and I got a lot of pats on the back.

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