Mercedes locks in 2026 line-up with new surprising name as test driver
Mercedes has locked in its driver line-up for 2026. Alongside full-time racers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the team has confirmed a new third driver as well as several development drivers.
Frederik Vesti has been named as the successor to Valtteri Bottas in the reserve role. The Dane has been part of Mercedes’ junior structure for several years as a development driver and has now earned a promotion. Should Russell or Antonelli be unavailable, Vesti would step in, although he has yet to make a Grand Prix start. In recent seasons, however, he has built valuable experience in endurance racing.
Mercedes has also confirmed a number of development drivers, including Anthony Davidson, with the Sky Sports analyst continuing in a role he has held for several years.
F2 driver Joshua Duerksen joins Mercedes
The other name on the list is Joshua Duerksen. The young driver will race for the highly rated Invicta Racing team in Formula 2 next season. Hailing from Paraguay — far from a traditional motorsport powerhouse — Duerksen is already something of a national hero back home.
That profile is set to grow further, with Mercedes planning to run him in tests of older Formula 1 machinery as part of his development programme.
Mercedes had earlier announced Doriane Pin as a development driver. She competed in F1 Academy last season, and GPblog previously reported that she is also set to test an F1 car.
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