Formula 2 championship leader Frederik Vesti has revealed the top piece of advice Mercedes’ George Russell gave him on how to improve as a driver.
Vesti, who joined the Mercedes junior academy in January 2021, is enjoying a stellar second season of F2 for PREMA, heading the championship standings by 20 points from Sauber junior Theo Pourchaire and Ayumu Iwasa.
The now championship rivals spent 2022 as teammates together at ART Grand Prix, with Pourchaire narrowly losing the title to Felipe Drugovich, while Vesti finished ninth in the standings, taking a solitary win in Austria.
“George has been very good to me and [has] really helped [me]”, said Vesti exclusively to Total Motorsport.com. “Sometimes [I] would see him after a race last year.
“He told me I saw your starts [in Formula 2] and told me a few tips I could do differently, and that’s really beneficial to have a relationship like that.”
Simulator helping on road to F1
At the end of 2022, Vesti was given his first taste of Formula 1 machinery with the Dane testing for Mercedes in F1’s young driver test held after last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, completing 122 laps.
With teams now required to run a junior driver with fewer than two Grand Prix under their belt for two FP1s a year, Vesti may find himself making his first official appearance during an official F1 session later in 2023.
“To be a part of Mercedes is a privilege for me is something I’ve dreamed up [of] many years,” said Vesti. “They gave me a lot of support for the F1 running I did last year.
“Together with a lot of running into simulator [it] means that I [am] constantly improving my driving and can compare myself to the best drivers and team in the world.
“It’s just a big confidence boost to be a part of Mercedes.”
