Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for French Grand Prix speaks out on making Mercedes debut | F1 | Sport

When it became clear that a seat wasn’t going to open up for him in F1, De Vries made the move to join Mercedes in the Formula E Championship. And he didn’t take long to settle, winning the title last year with expectations growing that he will soon get a chance in F1.

He has already been described as Toto Wolff’s ‘insurance policy’ should Hamilton quit F1 before the end of his contract in 2023. While De Vries will take Hamilton’s seat in FP1 this weekend, it’s so far unclear when Russell will step aside for another rookie.

As Vandoorne doesn’t qualify as a ‘rookie’, Mercedes could turn to Frederik Vesti. The Danish driver has been part of Mercedes’ young driver programme since 2021 and currently drives in the F2 Championship.