Audi announces Freddie Slater’s F1 practice debut

Audi has announced that junior driver Freddie Slater will make his Formula 1 practice debut in first practice at the Mexico City and São Paulo Grands Prix, with the sessions planned one week apart. The announcement sets out two appearances; it does not confirm that either session has taken place. Slater, an Audi junior driver, is scheduled to drive in Mexico City and then São Paulo. Audi said the outings will complete its remaining two mandatory rookie sessions for the season. In the two earlier sessions it had filled, the team used Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron, according to reports of the announcement. For the two upcoming sessions, Slater is expected to replace Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, one driver in each session. The team has not specified in the announcement which of the two will sit out at each Grand Prix. Slater is set to move up to Formula 2 next season with Invicta Racing. He finished second in the 2026 Formula 3 standings behind Ugo Ugochukwu and was the highest-placed rookie, according to one account. Another report said reliability problems late in the F3 season affected his title challenge; Audi’s announcement described his progress without...