British teenager Freddie Slater set for F1 practice debut with Audi

[Otto71]

A British teenager is about to drive a Formula 1 car in an official session. PlanetF1's Sam Hall reports that Freddie Slater, who finished as runner up in Formula 3 this year, will make his F1 practice debut with Audi

Slater will drive in first practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix, and again a week later in Brazil. Teams must give young drivers a set number of practice sessions each season, and Audi has chosen Slater for two of them

He looked on course for the F3 title before reliability problems and a poor final round cost him. Slater is part of Audi's junior programme and is confirmed with Invicta in Formula 2 for 2027

Audi has already used Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron for two of its four mandatory rookie sessions. Racing director Allan McNish said the team has seen Slater make great progress over recent years

British motorsport has a strong pipeline of young drivers, and Slater is one of the most highly rated. A practice outing in Mexico is a big moment for any young driver. If he impresses, it could open doors for the future

Is Freddie Slater a future F1 driver? And are mandatory rookie sessions a good idea?

Freddie Slater set for F1 debut with Audiwww.planetf1.com