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Mercedes Formula E drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries will drive the team’s 2020 Formula 1 car in the Abu Dhabi ‘young driver test’.
Vandoorne would’ve been ineligible under conventional F1 young driver test rules due to his 41 previous grand prix starts with McLaren, but makes the cut following the exemption that had been granted to Fernando Alonso, Robert Kubica and Sebastien Buemi.
The Belgian has been Mercedes’ designated reserve driver in 2020 alongside Esteban Gutierrez, but was disappointed to have missed out on the opportunity to race the W11 when Lewis Hamilton came down with COVID-19 – as the Silver Arrows drafted in George Russell instead.
Vandoorne and de Vries helped Mercedes’ new Formula E team to third place in the constructors’ standings in its debut season, with the former closing out the campaign with the programme’s maiden win.
De Vries, who was a long-time McLaren junior but never made it to F1 despite winning the 2019 Formula 2 title, will make his first appearance in a public F1 test.
‼️Joining @MercedesAMGF1 for the post season YDT at Abu Dhabi‼️ Buzzing from the day I was informed. This will become my Formula 1 debut. Can’t thank Mercedes enough for the faith and opportunity. Dreams come true 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/YtTZrSaE60
— Nyck de Vries (@nyckdevries) December 11, 2020
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has previously said that both Vandoorne and de Vries could yet use success in Formula E as a springboard to future F1 opportunities, but no concrete plans have been spoken of and though the Silver Arrows’ F1 line-up is among the older on the grid, it already has an F1-proven young prospect in Russell (as well as retaining ties to Esteban Ocon, who recently took his first grand prix podium finish with Renault).
