Freddie Slater's 'surreal' first taste of Formula 1

While Kimi Antonelli was making history as the youngest Formula 1 world champion earlier this month, a British teenager was taking his own steps to a glittering career in the sport.

Freddie Slater made his debut in the free practice sessions at both the Mexican and Brazilian Grand Prix.

Slater, who grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and was educated in Bromsgrove, was handed his first official F1 outing by Audi, and the 18-year-old is one of Britain's brightest motorsport prospects.

He has so far had successful seasons in karting and cars, most recently finishing runner up in the Formula 3 Championship, and told the BBC his latest experiences were "surreal".

"You're doing 350kph (217mph) into turn one at Mexico, I've never done anything like it, honestly it's just incredible," he said.

"(In) 2023, I was still in karting, then last year I was in the Formula Regional Championship which I won, and this year Formula 3."

Formula 3 is a support series organised by the FIA and competes alongside Formula 1, visiting the same tracks and racing on the same weekends.

It's an opportunity for drivers to get themselves noticed and for Slater it allowed him to become the first driver to be signed to Audi's driver development programme.

That has led to the recent outings in the team's Formula 1 cars.

"It's been great to have the support of Audi and the support of people like team principal Mattia Binotto and racing director Allan McNish."

"I didn't expect this opportunity to come so early if I'm honest. I just love speed and sitting in that F1 car was just the most surreal and incredible feeling. I've waited my whole life for this"

"I think the big difference with the F1 paddock is the amount of people, you have hundreds of people behind you, to get that car on track"

Slater's time in the car was cut short on both occasions due to mechanical problems - not uncommon for teams in practice sessions because both the driver and teams are learning the track and what setup works best. He adds that the opportunity itself to drive an F1 car was a dream come true.

"Honestly, I couldn't believe it when I was told I was getting to drive... it was just incredible getting those laps behind me with the forces and speeds involved".

Racing from a young age meant balancing exams and coursework with travelling around the world.

Slater's former headmaster, Mike Marie at Bromsgrove Preparatory School, said: "We're so proud of Freddie after having his first practice at an F1 weekend. My memories of Freddie were of him coming into school in year four with trophies bigger than he was, always incredibly talented, we wish him the best of luck on the world stage."

Slater recalls his time at school and the support he received there fondly: "I had to take prolonged absences to go racing, but also the friendships I've built up, the effort I put in at a young age."

Slater's family still live in Warwickshire and he is the oldest of five children.

"I love coming home after a busy race weekend, it's nice to unwind away from the pressure of the paddock, but also to catch up with family and friends."

"Motorsport is in my family, my dad used to race himself, my two brothers are also climbing the ladder, the youngest of which is 10 and just started karting."

Slater will now be gearing up for a season in Formula 2 with Invicta Racing, the current championship leaders. It means he will be around the paddock more often on a grand prix weekend - an opportunity he is relishing.

"Getting to Formula 1 is super difficult because the margins are so small and the drivers are at the top of their game."

"Of course I want to win a championship, that's got to be the goal every year, but it's also to develop as a driver."

"It's a tough sport in terms of how long the years are, there is so much testing, and training, that's the side people don't see."

Slater is not due on-track again until next year, however he will still be putting in the hours on the simulator and hitting the gym on a daily basis to stay fit.

With the support of Audi, he is also likely to feature in another practice session in the not-too-distant future.

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