Antonieli to drive for Mercedes in Mexican GP practice

Italian to get behind the wheel

Nyck de Vries will not be the only driver making his Formula 1 debut in Mexico this weekend, with Mercedes announcing that reserve driver Andrea Antonelli will also get some running in FP1.

The 23-year-old Italian has been part of the Mercedes junior programme since 2019 and has spent the last two seasons racing in Formula 2, finishing ninth in the standings in 2022.

He drove the team's 2022 car in a private test at the Hungaroring in August and will take part in FP1 for Mercedes at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Friday.

Tough start to the weekend

It will be a busy day for Antonelli, who will also drive for Sauber in FP1 for Formula 3, and he will be hoping to make a good impression on Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

With Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both struggling in Mexico, Mercedes will be hoping that Antonelli can provide some much-needed pace and help them to secure a strong result in the race.