George Russell has said Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti "deserves his chance" in F1, confirming that the Dane is "really fighting hard" to be within a shot of securing a seat at Cadillac. Vesti, filling in for Russell, impressed during FP1 of the Mexico City GP by finishing in P3, just a tenth behind champion-elect Kimi Antonelli.

In recent weeks, Cadillac's 2027 driver line up has come under increasing speculation. Sergio Perez's future was secured until at least 2029 ahead of his home Grand Prix, but that of his teammate Valtteri Bottas still appears unclear.

The apparent favourite to take Bottas' seat next season would be F2 and former IndyCar driver Colton Herta, who, after some confusion, is now on the cusp of attaining the required FIA Super Licence points to be able to race in F1 following his own FP1 outing in Mexico City.

Vesti, however, has made no secret of his interest in the seat at the American team. During Friday's second practice session, the Dane told Sky Sports F1 during a guest commentary appearance: “There’s no doubt I’ve got my eyes on that seat and it would be such a privilege to step into it."

The Mercedes reserve also has ties with Cadillac, having signed to drive full-time in the #31 Cadillac Whelen car in the 2027 IMSA series.

Russell backs Vesti for Cadillac seat

Photo: Race Pictures

Hopping back into his W17 for FP2, Mercedes' Russell was asked for his thoughts on Vesti's impressive showing in the earlier session, with the Briton throwing his support behind the 24-year-old's quest for an F1 seat.

“Yeah, he did a really good job. I know he’s really fighting hard to be within a shot intentionally of the Cadillac seat and, you know, I think think he deserves his chance," Russell said post-FP2.

The 28-year-old further highlighted Vesti's role within the Mercedes team, with the Dane clearly a trusted member within the Silver Arrows squad, having featured in two earlier FP1 sessions this season. Russell added: "He's put a lot of effort and work in with our team. We all respect him very highly.

"Those FP1 sessions that he's done, he sort of had the brunt of the work and not really getting performance runs in. So I think it was important for us as a team."

Russell then said he has personally told Mercedes that he wants to help Vesti get the best possible opportunity to showcase his talents: "I said to the team, I want to ensure that he gets an opportunity to show what he can do," he added. "You know, it's the least that we could do. So, yeah, that was nice."