Mercedes posted the video call where Paraguay’s president Santiago Pena congratulated development driver Joshua Durken on his inaugural F1 test.
“A truly special call. President Peña made sure to salute Josh on his debut run. A proud day for the nation,” Mercedes captioned the footage.
The clip appears in the behind‑the‑scenes film *Inside Mercedes: Joshua Durken’s First F1 Test – Paraguay, We Did It!*, released by the Brackley team earlier this week.
The 22‑year‑old spent two days at Portimão piloting the Mercedes W16, the same chassis driven by George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in the 2025 season.
Beyond a personal triumph, Durken became the first Paraguayan to handle a contemporary F1 machine. “Legend! That’s massive,” Peña exclaimed. “Joshua, I’m thrilled. This is your dream, my dream, the dream of millions of Paraguayans proud of your feats. That giant Paraguay we all envision, it’s you.” In my view, this breakthrough could spark a surge of South American drivers aiming for F1.
Durken added, “Coming from a nation many deem small, proving we can reach motorsport’s summit sends a clear signal to my people: we may dream big and achieve those ambitions.”
“After this drive I fell even deeper in love with the sport, and I’m committed to pursuing it for the long haul.”
Fans flooded social media with excitement for the Paraguayan talent.
“What pride for all of Paraguay! Let’s go, Joshua, you’ve got this!” one supporter wrote, while another cheered, “Joshua is fantastic; we hope he secures an F1 seat soon.”
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– The Team