From Motorsport · Ben Vinel · · 1m 30s
Audi Gives F3 Runner-Up Freddie Slater F1 Practice Debut
Freddie Slater, Audi's F3 runner-up, gets F1 practice debut in Mexico and Brazil.
In brief
Freddie Slater, Audi's F3 runner-up, gets F1 practice debut in Mexico and Brazil. Audi hands F3 runner-up Freddie Slater F1 practice sessions in Mexico City and Sao Paulo for 2026 season. Originally reported by Motorsport.
Audi Hands F3 Runner-Up Freddie Slater F1 Practice Debut
Audi junior Freddie Slater will make his debut at the wheel of a Formula 1 car with two Free Practice 1 outings in Mexico City and Sao Paulo.
Slater's F3 Background
Slater, 18, is F3 runner-up behind Ugo Ugochukwu and was the highest-placed rookie in the standings.
Audi Driver Development Programme
Audi took over the Sauber team for the 2026 season and launched a new driver academy focused on Slater.
Slater's Goals for F1 Debut
Slater aims to gain on-track experience and help the team with its programme during the two practice sessions.
Audi Racing Director's View
Audi racing director Allan McNish says Slater has made great progress and will get valuable experience before stepping up to Formula 2.
Colton Herta's F1 Debut
Colton Herta will drive Sergio Perez's car at the United States Grand Prix in Austin for his fourth FP1 session.
Herta's Motivation
Herta says driving the MAC-26 at COTA feels like coming full circle after winning his first IndyCar race here in 2019.
Herta's Goals for Test
Herta aims to execute the test program cleanly, gather data, and hand the car back to Checo with useful feedback.
What it means
Audi hands F3 runner-up Freddie Slater F1 practice sessions in Mexico City and Sao Paulo for 2026 season.
