Paraguay's president calls Durksen after historic first F1 test for his country

Joshua Durksen made history at Portimao when he became the first Paraguayan driver to test a modern Formula 1 car, completing two days behind the wheel of the Mercedes W16 — the same car raced by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in the 2025 championship. The milestone prompted a personal phone call from Paraguay’s president, Santiago Peña, a moment Mercedes captured and shared this week.

Footage of the video call was included in a behind-the-scenes film released by the Brackley team titled Inside Mercedes: Joshua Durksen’s First F1 Test, Paraguay, We Did It! Mercedes accompanied the clip with the message: “A very special call. Santiago Pena, president of Paraguay, made sure to congratulate Josh on his first F1 run. A proud moment for the country.”

President Peña was visibly moved during the exchange. “Legend! That’s huge, man,” he told the 22-year-old. “Joshua, I’m really excited. This is your dream, it’s my dream, it’s the dream of millions of Paraguayans who truly are proud of everything you’re accomplishing. That giant Paraguay we all dream about, it’s you.”

Durksen reflected on the significance of the achievement for his home nation. “To come from a country that many people think we’re a small country, and that maybe we cannot do a lot of stuff, to reaching the top of motorsport and driving a Formula 1 car — I think it’s a clear message, especially to my people, that we are allowed to dream, that we can dream big and that we can accomplish these dreams,” he said.

The Mercedes development driver also spoke about the lasting impression the test left on him. “I think after driving, I’m even more in love with this sport, and for sure this is something I want to do for the very long term,” he added.

The test marks a significant step in Durksen’s progression within the Mercedes junior programme, and the reaction from fans and the Paraguayan head of state alike underlines the broader cultural weight of the moment for a country with no previous footprint in the top tier of motorsport.