Mercedes has shared the moment Paraguay’s president, Santiago Pena, phoned development driver Joshua Durksen to congratulate him on his first Formula 1 test.
“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,” Mercedes posted alongside footage of the video call.
The clip comes from a behind-the-scenes video, Inside Mercedes: Joshua Durksen’s First F1 Test, Paraguay, We Did It!, that was released by the Brackley outfit earlier this week.
The 22-year-old spent two days at Portimao at the wheel of the Mercedes W16, which was raced by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in the 2025 championship.
Not only was it a big moment for Durksen, but it was also the first time a driver from Paraguay had driven a modern F1 car. “Legend! That’s huge, man,” president Pena told Durksen on the call. “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 added in the video: “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.
“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.”
Fans shared their excitement for the Paraguayan driver.
“What pride for all of Paraguay! Let’s go, Joshua, if you can!!!!” one fan commented, while another added: “Joshua is so great, I want them to give him a seat in F1 soon.”
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