Mercedes Reserve Fred Vesti Sets Sights on Cadillac F1 Seat for 2027

Fred Vesti has made no secret of where he wants to be in 2027. Fresh from an FP1 outing in George Russell's Mercedes at the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Dane says he has "all my eyes" on the second Cadillac seat alongside Sergio Perez.

Why it matters:

Cadillac's arrival has opened a genuine second route into F1 for drivers outside the usual junior ladder, and Vesti sits right at the intersection of both worlds — Mercedes' development programme and Cadillac's IMSA sportscar squad. Few candidates can claim a foot in each camp.

The details:

• Vesti joined Mercedes' junior set-up in 2021 and has taken several FP1 sessions since, including Mexico City in place of Russell.
• He races for Cadillac in IMSA, where he helped sweep the drivers', teams' and manufacturers' titles this season, with three wins across the last two years.
• "I'm hugely privileged to be working with two awesome manufacturers," he told Sky Sports F1. "They've had the chance for two years to see what I can do."
• Perez is confirmed through at least the end of 2027. Valtteri Bottas' situation is considerably less certain.
• Colton Herta remains in the frame, though he is still chasing the super licence points required to race.

Between the lines:

Vesti's pitch is as much about philosophy as self-promotion. Pointing to 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli's title shot this weekend, he argued that principals should stop defaulting to experience. "There is plenty of experience on the grid. I think we need to trust the rookies more."

What's next:

Cadillac has no reason to move quickly, and the American outfit will weigh Vesti's sportscar pedigree and Mercedes grounding against Herta's pull in the US market. Expect the picture to sharpen once the season closes in Abu Dhabi.