Frederik Vesti experienced a Hypercar in the World Endurance Championship for the first time at the post-season WEC Rookie Test.
The Danish driver drove at the Bahrain International Circuit, a track on which he has extensive experience after racing there in Formula 2.
Vesti drove the Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh, which had a mixed season in the World Endurance Championship after scoring a best finish of fourth place at Lone Star Le Mans.
He competed in the Rookie Test alongside Arthur Leclerc and Valentino Rossi, who set the pace in Bahrain while adjusting to new cars.
Vesti will be moving to North America in 2025 to compete in IMSA for Cadillac after being overlooked by Formula 1 teams for an opportunity.
He explained to Motorsportweek the key aspect of the Hypercar that is different and what Vesti is unable to do with Cadillac, which made the learning curve steeper.
Frederik Vesti ‘can’t drive directly on instinct’ in Cadillac’s Hypercar
Vesti is moving to endurance racing after there were no opportunities in Formula 1 and sitting on the sidelines as Mercedes’ F1 reserve driver.
He has already raced in the discipline, competing in a full season of the European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 class, taking two podium finishes.
The Danish driver also raced at Le Mans in LMP2, finishing fifth in the LMP2 Pro-Am class as his focus shifted away from single-seaters.
Vesti has adapted well to the different worlds of endurance racing and traffic management. The latter requires skills different from those of the junior categories, and Sebastien Buemi perfected passing LMGT3 cars in Bahrain.
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He explained that his technique needs work before moving to IMSA and competing at a very high level next season.
Vesti said: “I expected to have a difficult car to drive as I’ve heard in the past about these cars, but I think I had a lot of confidence with the car.
“For sure, there is some technique that needs to be fine-tuned. It’s a heavy car compared to what I’m used to. There are a lot of systems to use to help to go quicker so that’s something that I need to get into in the winter before starting next year, which I’m really excited about.
“It’s a fairly big change [to other cars he’s driven]. I can’t drive directly on instinct. I have to think a bit more as I jump in a car like this, but with more laps and test days I’m sure I’ll get it.”
IMSA may be a significant challenge for Frederik Vesti
Vesti sharpened his skills in many single-seaters as he progressed up the ladder towards Formula 1. Endurance racing is very different, with a more relaxed atmosphere and multi-class events.
The Danish driver will have two very competitive teammates in Earl Bamber and Jack Aitken, who are experienced in the championship.
He will also have to learn new tracks, such as Daytona and Long Beach. Vesti has already made his debut in IMSA, competing in Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
This is a good step in Vesti’s career as he continues to develop as a professional driver and has the chance to race for Cadillac.