Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti recounted how he found himself at the heart of an extremely dangerous situation during the sudden cancellation of Formula 1 testing in Bahrain.
The Dane was supposed to participate in a Pirelli test — a crucial opportunity to drive the new Mercedes single-seater — when war broke out: “At 8 a.m., in the hotel gym, I saw on the television the news about an American-Israeli attack”, he explained.
At first, the severity of the situation was not fully realized: “I thought it was quite violent… but we did not expect drones and missiles to suddenly rain down in neighboring countries.”
Sirens, strikes, and immediate halt of testing
Once he arrived at the circuit, everything accelerated: the first sirens sounded, then work in the Mercedes garage was interrupted and the teams discovered on their phones that targets had been hit in Bahrain: “We understood that it was much more serious than everyone had imagined”, Vesti said.
All personnel then returned to the hotel in the capital Manama, where they remained confined for five days.
Leaving the region was even more chaotic: “We waited three hours on a bridge… which was hit by a drone two hours later.”
The airspace was closed, forcing Vesti and other team members to sleep on the floor in an airport for nearly ten hours before being able to leave. He finally managed to return to Europe via Saudi Arabia and Cairo.
A missed sporting opportunity
This situation deprived Vesti of a key moment: his first real run with the new Mercedes (the W17) outside the simulator: “It would have been great to be able to drive the new car for a few days… but it was not possible this time.”
The 24-year-old driver now hopes to get an opportunity during a free practice session in the coming months. Despite the sporting frustration, this episode mainly illustrates how geopolitical events can directly impact the world of Formula 1, even affecting the safety of drivers and teams.