Freddie Slater reflects on troubled Audi F1 debut in Mexico City

Freddie Slater made his Formula 1 debut with Audi in Friday's first practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, becoming the first driver from Audi's junior programme to drive one of the team's cars. The 18-year-old, who narrowly missed the Formula 3 title in his first attempt and has been given a Formula 2 seat with Invicta next season, was forced to abandon most of the session after a cooling fan was left on the side of his car. The error damaged the R26 and cost the team €7,500 from the FIA, leaving Slater with only two late push runs.

Speaking after the second practice session, Slater said he was frustrated not to complete more laps but took positives from the day, saying his single lap was competitive against relevant data. He described the car at the high-altitude circuit as feeling very weird, noting the limited aerodynamic load and the strong boost off corners, and said the step up from Formula 3 was intense.