Between F1 and IMSA, Vesti is Living the Dream
Photo: Brandon Badraoui/Lumen Digital Agency/IMSA
By Dennis Krause
Exactly one week ago, Frederik Vesti was at the Hungaroring as part of his role as reserve driver for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team.
This weekend, the 24-year-old Danish driver is at Elkhart Lake’s Road America for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Sports Car Endurance Grand Prix. Along with regular drivers Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber, Vesti will pilot the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R in Sunday’s six-hour race.
Vesti says going from a Formula One car one week to a Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) is a dream situation for him.
“It's two top categories in the world of racing. It's awesome being with two different manufacturers like that and be in F1 doing lots of work there, lots of driving, and then also racing here in IMSA. It's pretty much a dream situation to be honest.”
Last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix was Vesti’s second appearance in free practice 1 this season, driving the Mercedes W17 E Performance that has set the standard in F1 this season.
“FP1 was a really good, good step forward. I was P7, close to my teammate (George Russell), and I was really, really happy when I jumped out of the car. Obviously, my dream is very clear. It's to race in Formula One, and to do a good FP1 like that definitely helps the the journey.
“And now we are here at Road America, one of the best tracks of the year. It's my debut this weekend at Road America, so I'm learning a lot. I'm trying to take on as much as possible from my two experienced teammates, and yeah, should be a good weekend.”
And his initial impression of “America’s National Park of Speed”?
Photo: Brandon Badraoui/Lumen Digital Agency/IMSA
“It's really awesome. It's why I love to race in IMSA because the tracks are legendary, all of them. The history is awesome. There's not really runoff. You're really on the limit with this track, and you get really punished if you breach the limit. I think as drivers we like to know where the limit is, and you really got to balance it around here.
“I would call it almost a big version of Road Atlanta or Watkins Glen, and those are also my favorite tracks. So it makes sense. I like to be here.”
Like when his co-driver Jack Aitken first drove at Road America, what got Vesti’s attention was the lack of runoff space compared to circuits in Europe.
“Yeah, absolutely,” concurred Vesti. “Like the tendency of recent years is the tracks get wider and wider with more runoff, more difficult to hit the wall. The American tracks are sort of staying as they were 20, 30, 40 years ago, and that's pretty cool because drivers, we love to feel that we are alive, you know, in the car that we can feel the rush, and you really get that on the American tracks.”
Informed that the layout of Road America has remained unchanged since it opened in 1955, Vesti was amazed.
“That's a wild stat actually, that it's not changed. That's exactly why I love it. It feels like we are back in time, but we're racing these modern GTP cars and incredible tracks. So yeah, I really enjoy it.”
While the Mercedes AMG Formula 1 team remains his priority, Vesti says team principal Toto Wolff is supportive of his GTP outings in the U.S.
“Very supportive,” said Vesti. “He's always excited. He always asks. He's one of the first to ask when I get back in the F1 paddock, how was the race? How's it going? Yeah, he's definitely following it quite closely because he can see how much it gives me as well when I'm in the F1 car. He can see that I'm better, I'm sharper when I've driven over here and get those new tires, those races.”
After all, seat time is seat time - and the more, the better.
“Exactly,” agreed Vesti. “I mean, the mindset driving a GTP or a Formula One car, in big terms, is the same,” Vesti noted. “You have a set of limits, and you want to be as close to it and find the limit. Obviously, the Formula One car is much faster through the corners, particularly, so it takes a bit of getting used to. But I'm getting better and better at jumping between the two.”
Credit: Mercedes Benz AG, LAT Images
These are exciting days for Vesti, not only with the team’s success in IMSA, but also with what the Mercedes team has accomplished in the first half of the F1 season.
“I mean it's super exciting, actually. We have the (F1) break now, but this is sort of halfway through the year. Done 11 races. We have won eight races, which is an incredible start to the season, but we've also had a lot of inconsistency with the cars, and just very difficult to score points consistently. And our competition, our competitors are getting closer and closer. But we are working on putting performance to the car after the summer break, and that'll be quite exciting.’
Even though he’s Mercedes’ reserve driver and spends most of his time in the simulator, Vesti takes particular pride in the team’s success.
“It's quite interesting this year,” Vesti said, “because I'm getting to help a lot. I feel a big part of the team, and you know, when either of them (George Russell and Kimi Antonelli) win a race, I feel very happy and responsible in some ways of that, and that's a great reward. And I'm really enjoying the work. It's bringing me to another level. Yeah, and I really enjoy it.”
It’s like living the dream.
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute.