Audi gives F3 runner-up Freddie Slater two Friday practice outings in Mexico and São Paulo
Audi junior Freddie Slater is set to make his Formula 1 practice debut in the first free practice sessions at the Mexico City and São Paulo grands prix, according to Autosport. He will take the team's last two mandatory rookie outings.
A debut on the way to Formula 2
Freddie Slater is about to get his first taste of a Formula 1 car. Autosport reports that the Audi junior will drive in first practice at the Mexico City and São Paulo grands prix, the last two rookie sessions the team has to provide this season. The report came out on Thursday under an embargo, and we could not yet find the announcement on Audi's own news page, so this item is held for review.
Who gives way
The rookie rule obliges every team to hand young drivers a number of Friday morning sessions. Autosport says Slater will replace Nico Hülkenberg in one of them and Gabriel Bortoleto in the other. Earlier this season Audi used Alpine junior Paul Aron, who had been loaned to the team for two practice sessions, to cover part of the requirement.
Slater called the step "a big moment" and said he has dreamed of it "since I was a kid". Audi racing director Allan McNish said it is "the right time for Freddie to step up".
The road so far
Slater won the Italian F4 title and the Formula Regional European championship before moving to Formula 3, where he finished second behind Ugo Ugochukwu. Audi named him the first member of its driver development programme. For 2027 he moves up to Formula 2 with Invicta, according to Autosport.
What comes next
Both outings fall in the closing stretch of the season. Practice appearances like these give a young driver a rare chance to learn the car, the team's procedures and the demands of a Grand Prix weekend without a result on the line. Details of how many laps Slater will be allowed to complete, and when Audi will formally confirm the plan, were not part of the report.