Audi hands Freddie Slater first practice runs in Mexico City and Sao Paulo

The results so far back the choice. Slater combined his Audi duties with a campaign in Formula 3, finishing runner-up with Trident Motorsport in his debut season in the series.

Two sessions in the R26 before Formula 2

Slater will drive the R26 in first practice, the opening session of the weekend, in Mexico City and then in Sao Paulo. Allan McNish, Audi's racing director and head of the driver development programme, is clear on the timing: "It is the right time for Freddie to step up."

McNish added: "These appearances in Mexico and Brazil will give him valuable experience of a Formula 1 race weekend, and another chance to continue his development before he steps up to Formula 2 next season."

Slater called it "a big moment for me and something I've been dreaming of since I was a kid". His stated focus is on "doing the best job I can, helping the team with its programme and taking as many learnings as possible from both sessions."

Next year he moves up to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing, a front-running team. Invicta driver Rafael Camara is leading this year's F2 championship and is moving up to F1 next season with Haas, so Slater is joining a team with a recent route to the grid.

Why the real car beats another wait

The case against is simple enough. Slater hasn't yet raced in Formula 2, and some would say first practice should be earned there, not handed out on the strength of a Formula 3 season.

We think Audi have got this right. A session in the R26 on a grand prix weekend tells the team things about their first signing that another junior season can't, and it tells them now rather than a year from now. It's also Audi backing its own pick in public, which is what a new academy built around one driver should be doing. If Slater is the driver they believe he is, they'd rather find out in the real car than from another results sheet.