Vesti Steps Into Bamber’s Shoes at Laguna Seca
Frederik Vesti is stepping in to replace Earl Bamber this weekend at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Bamber is absent due to commitments with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA at the WEC 6 Hours of Spa. Vesti, having shown strong performance during the Twelve Hours of Sebring, feels well-prepared to assume the responsibilities in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R.
“I have a huge amount of respect for Earl. He’s very successful in sports cars, so it is some big shoes to fill,” Vesti stated. However, he emphasized that with this being his third weekend with the team, he has made significant progress. “Every test, every weekend so far, I’ve made a big step forward,” he noted. Vesti acknowledged the unique challenges of racing at Laguna Seca, particularly its shorter length and complex traffic conditions.
Despite not securing a victory at Sebring, Vesti expressed satisfaction with how he performed, citing it as a critical rebound from a tough Daytona outing. “I want to keep that as my baseline and move forward,” he said. His experience in open-wheel racing—most notably his victory in the Formula Regional European Championship at 17 and his success in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship—serves him well as he transitions to endurance racing.
Collaborating with fellow driver Jack Aitken, who shares a similar career trajectory from single-seaters to sports cars, Vesti has been leveraging their synergy to enhance performance. “We’re basically coming from the same school. It just makes it really easy to work together,” Vesti commented.
Vesti’s excitement about driving at Laguna Seca is palpable. “No words can really describe the difference between what it feels like in the sim, and then in reality,” he remarked, recalling his first laps on the iconic circuit. He acknowledged that the primary challenge will be managing traffic—an essential skill for drivers moving from single-seaters to multi-class racing.
“My single-seater career has been about maximizing each corner on a clear track. In IMSA, it’s about managing the KERS and confronting traffic without making mistakes,” Vesti stated.
As part of the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team’s reserve drivers, Vesti maintains ties to F1 but remains focused on his role with Cadillac, aiming to challenge Porsche’s current dominance in IMSA. “I love the challenge. Racing in IMSA really offers me that opportunity,” he concluded.
As the event unfolds, all eyes will be on Vesti to see how he navigates these new challenges and further develops his promising career in sports car racing.
