Antonio Giovinazzi to Drive for Mercedes in Free Practice 1 at Mexico City Grand Prix

After a disappointing end to his 2022 campaign with Alfa Romeo, Antonio Giovinazzi will make his Mercedes debut in FP1 this weekend in Mexico City.

The Italian crashed out of the United States Grand Prix on the opening lap, and will now have the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car with the Silver Arrows.

Giovinazzi was part of Ferrari's Driver Academy before making his F1 debut with Sauber in 2017. He spent two seasons with the Swiss team before joining Alfa Romeo in 2019.

The 28-year-old has scored 21 points in his F1 career, with a best result of fifth place at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. He will be replaced at Alfa Romeo by Nyck de Vries for 2023.

Mercedes have confirmed that Giovinazzi will drive the W14 in place of George Russell during FP1 in Mexico City. It will be the Italian's first taste of a Mercedes car, and he will be hoping to make a good impression on the team.

Mercedes are currently second in the Constructors' Championship, and will be hoping to close the gap to Red Bull in the remaining races of the season. Giovinazzi's experience could be valuable to the team as they look to develop their car for 2023.

It will be interesting to see how Giovinazzi performs in the Mercedes. He has a good reputation as a quick and consistent driver, and he will be keen to show Mercedes what he can do.