Mercedes reserve Vesti says he has 'all my eyes' on a 2027 Cadillac seat
Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti has openly named Cadillac's second 2027 seat as his target, speaking to Sky Sports F1 in Mexico City. The Dane already drives for Cadillac in IMSA, while the team has yet to name Sergio Perez's team-mate.
A reserve with a plan
Most reserve drivers wait quietly for a call. Frederik Vesti has chosen to say out loud what he wants. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Mercedes reserve said he has "all my eyes on that seat" at Cadillac, as reported by PlanetF1 and RacingNews365.
Vesti stepped in for George Russell in first practice on Friday, one of his scheduled FP1 outings for Mercedes this season, and finished third on the timesheets, less than a tenth of a second behind Kimi Antonelli, according to PlanetF1.
Why Cadillac
The Dane has a foot in both camps. He is part of Mercedes' development programme, which he joined in 2021, and he also races for Cadillac in the American IMSA sports car series, where RacingNews365 credits him with three wins over the last two seasons. He described himself as hugely privileged to work with two manufacturers, Mercedes and Cadillac.
He also made a general case for young drivers, pointing to 20-year-old Antonelli, who can win the world title in Mexico. "I think we need to trust the rookies more," Vesti said.
The open seat
Cadillac announced on Wednesday that Sergio Perez will stay with the team until at least 2029. It has not named his 2027 team-mate. Valtteri Bottas has been linked with a possible replacement at the end of this season, although he dismissed the talk in Austin while adding that nothing is guaranteed in the sport. Colton Herta, who has taken part in Cadillac practice sessions, is another name in the discussion as he works on his super licence.
Neither Cadillac nor Mercedes has commented on Vesti's candidacy, and the team has not said when it will decide.
The wider picture
Cadillac built its first Formula 1 line-up around experience: Bottas and Perez each have over 200 starts, PlanetF1 notes. A move to Vesti would change that approach, but nothing suggests a decision has been taken. For now, the facts are that a driver with ties to both teams has declared his interest, and that the seat is still unfilled.
