JOSHUA DÜRKSEN BECOMES MERCEDES DEVELOPMENT AND TEST DRIVER FOR 2026

Joshua Dürksen joins the Mercedes programme for the 2026 season. The Paraguayan driver will take on the role of development and test driver for the German team in Formula 1, marking a major step in his young career.

Dürksen will also continue his career in Formula 2 with the Invicta team during the 2026 season. Alongside his single-seater programme, he will take part in several TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) sessions, contributing to the team’s development work and technical preparation.

The 2026 season will be a decisive one for Dürksen, who will line up alongside Rafael Câmara, considered the big favourite this year. However, Dürksen has often delivered standout performances with teams not fighting at the front, and it will now be up to him to prove he can perform at the highest level with a title-contending outfit. The Paraguayan won four races in the past two seasons of Formula 2 with the AIX Racing team.

In this role, he will work alongside F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin and 46-year-old Anthony Davidson, who raced four seasons in Formula 1. Frederik Vesti has been promoted to the role of reserve driver following the departure of Valtteri Bottas.