{"id":2622,"date":"2026-09-22T15:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T18:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2622"},"modified":"2026-09-22T15:18:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T18:18:41","slug":"durksen-makes-history-as-first-paraguayan-to-drive-modern-f1-car-in-mercedes-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/durksen-makes-history-as-first-paraguayan-to-drive-modern-f1-car-in-mercedes-test\/","title":{"rendered":"D\u00fcrksen makes history as first Paraguayan to drive modern F1 car in Mercedes test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Joshua D\u00fcrksen completed his first Formula 1 test with Mercedes at Portim\u00e3o.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Paraguayan covered 187 laps and 875 km across two days in the 2025 W16.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>D\u00fcrksen became the first Paraguayan to drive a modern Formula 1 car.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joshua D\u00fcrksen has completed his maiden Formula 1 test with Mercedes, becoming the first Paraguayan driver to drive a modern F1 car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mercedes development driver completed a two-day programme at the Aut\u00f3dromo Internacional do Algarve in Portim\u00e3o, using the W16 raced by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli during the 2025 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">D\u00fcrksen covered 187 laps and 875 km\u2014almost three complete Grand Prix distances\u2014as Mercedes combined systems familiarisation with performance runs. The test was conducted under Formula 1\u2019s Testing of Previous Cars programme, which allows teams to use machinery at least 2 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGrowing up as a kid in Paraguay, I thought dreaming about this moment was all we could do\u2014until it became reality,\u201d D\u00fcrksen wrote after completing the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joshua D\u00fcrksen completed 187 laps during his first Formula 1 test with Mercedes (Photo: Mercedes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">D\u00fcrksen calls Mercedes F1 debut a lifelong memory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes signed D\u00fcrksen as a development driver at the beginning of 2026. His responsibilities include simulator work, engineering support and private testing alongside his Formula 2 programme with Invicta Racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is a day, and a week, that I will remember for the rest of my life,\u201d D\u00fcrksen said. \u201cDriving a Formula 1 car for the first time is something every young driver dreams about, and to do that as the first Paraguayan to reach this milestone makes it even more special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 22-year-old thanked Mercedes, his family, sponsors and supporters in Paraguay for helping him reach a moment that once appeared remote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI am incredibly grateful to Mercedes for the opportunity and for the trust they have placed in me,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo many people have supported me throughout my journey, from my family and sponsors to everyone back home in Paraguay who has followed my career and believed in me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The W16 won races during the 2025 season and represented a major step above the Formula 2 machinery D\u00fcrksen usually drives. The Paraguayan highlighted the braking performance and cornering speed as the most striking differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGetting behind the wheel of the W16 was an unbelievable experience,\u201d he said. \u201cThe performance, the braking, the cornering speeds\u2014everything is on another level. I learned a huge amount over the two days and enjoyed every lap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mercedes praises D\u00fcrksen\u2019s maturity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord said D\u00fcrksen delivered what the engineering group expected while progressively building confidence in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe approached the programme with maturity, professionalism and a real desire to learn,\u201d Lord said. \u201cOver the two days, he worked effectively with the engineering team, developed his confidence progressively and delivered exactly what we were hoping to see from him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Portim\u00e3o mileage gave Mercedes an opportunity to compare D\u00fcrksen\u2019s simulator feedback with his reactions in a real Formula 1 car. TPC programmes are not direct auditions for race seats, but they allow teams to assess communication, technical understanding, physical preparation and adaptation to F1 performance levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is an important step in his development, and he should be proud of what he has achieved, not only for himself but also for his country,\u201d Lord added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Paraguay to Mercedes F1 machinery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">D\u00fcrksen became Paraguay\u2019s first Formula 2 race winner when he claimed victory in Baku in 2024. He joined Invicta for his third F2 campaign in 2026 and currently sits seventh in the championship with 90 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His strongest performance came at Monza, where he won both races. After charging through the field in the Sprint, D\u00fcrksen resisted teammate Rafael C\u00e2mara to <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f2\/durksen-holds-off-camara-to-sweep-f2-weekend-at-monza-as-tsolov-finishes-seventh\/\">complete a perfect Italian F2 weekend<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mercedes test does not provide an immediate route into a Formula 1 race seat. Russell and championship leader Antonelli form the team\u2019s current line-up, while D\u00fcrksen\u2019s development role is focused on simulator and engineering work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the 875-km programme gives him valuable experience as Mercedes continues evaluating its longer-term driver structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hope this moment can inspire young people in Paraguay to believe that they can compete on the world stage too,\u201d D\u00fcrksen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">D\u00fcrksen will continue his Formula 2 campaign with Invicta while completing his development duties for Mercedes. Further TPC running forms part of the programme initially established when he joined the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1<\/a> team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race starts on Saturday at 12:00 UK, 07:00 ET and 15:00 local time in Baku. Qualifying begins on Friday at 13:00 UK and 08:00 ET.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race was moved forward because Sunday, 27 September, is Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day. The full weekend shifted, with practice on Thursday and qualifying on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 F1 championship in Baku?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Antonelli leads George Russell by 81 points, but cannot secure the title in Azerbaijan. Singapore is his earliest mathematical opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Mercedes F1 car did Joshua D\u00fcrksen drive?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">D\u00fcrksen drove the Mercedes W16 used during the 2025 Formula 1 season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 22-year-old completed 187 laps and 875 km in the race-winning Mercedes W16 during a two-day programme at Portim\u00e3o<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020315681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Joshua D\u00fcrksen completed 187 laps during his first Formula 1 test","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Mercedes","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":58,"location":""}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"42wp_author":[58],"class_list":["post-2622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","42wp_author-vicente-soella"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2622"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2623,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2622\/revisions\/2623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020315681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2622"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}