The Mexico City Grand Prix will see a number of Formula 1 stars sit out the first practice session

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will be among those sitting out practice in Mexico (Image: Getty)

The Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday will see a significant shake-up in the Formula 1 grid, with many of the sport’s biggest names set to sit out the first practice session of the weekend. Among those temporarily benched are four-time champion Max Verstappen and the British foursome of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell and Oliver Bearman.

F1 regulations mandate that all drivers must forfeit at least two practice sessions each season to allow ‘rookie’ drivers to gain experience during a race weekend. This is an increase from the single switch per car required last year.

With every team yet to meet their quota for the season, most have chosen this weekend’s event at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as an opportunity to fulfil their obligations. Sauber is the only team yet to announce plans to run a rookie racer in FP1 on Friday.

This choice is popular because, of the remaining four race weekends this season, two will use the Sprint format, leaving only one practice session instead of three. Express Sport examines the nine rookies who will get their chance to shine – and those who will step aside for them.

Paul Aron – stepping in for Pierre Gasly at Alpine

A man who could potentially find himself in a race seat next season, or even before this one concludes. Flavio Briatore has stated that Alpine reserve Aron, who finished third in F2 last year, is being considered to replace Franco Colapinto, who hasn’t scored a single point all year.

Luke Browning – stepping in for Carlos Sainz at Williams

British driver Browning is currently third in the F2 standings and is in the title fight. This will be his third F1 free practice appearance but, at 23, a full-time promotion seems unlikely – especially with no vacancies at Williams in the near future.

Jak Crawford – stepping in for Lance Stroll at Aston Martin

Making his F1 weekend debut is American racer Crawford, who is second in the F2 standings. He’s represented Aston Martin well with four victories in F2 this year but has been strongly linked with a move to the new American team Cadillac as their reserve next year.
Antonio Fuoco will make his F1 race weekend debut driving for Ferrari (Image: Getty)

Antonio Fuoco – stepping in for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

This switch is less about nurturing a young talent than it is about rewarding an established one. Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton will make way for Italian Fuoco, who shines in Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship programme and won the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s his F1 free practice debut.

Ryo Hirakawa – stepping in for Oliver Bearman at Haas

Hirakawa, another ‘rookie’ who is older than half the F1 grid, has previously raced for McLaren and Alpine. He is now associated with Haas through their Toyota Gazoo Racing partnership. This will be his fourth FP1 outing this year, with a fifth planned in Abu Dhabi.

Ayumi Iwasa – stepping in for Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls

Despite not yet having had the opportunity to impress for Red Bull in F1, Iwasa left F2 at the end of 2023 and has spent the last two years racing in Super Formula in his native Japan. His performance in that series hasn’t been outstanding, making an F1 future seem unlikely.

Arvid Lindblad – stepping in for Max Verstappen at Red Bull

This is something of an audition for Lindblad, who is being considered for a promotion to F1 next year with junior squad Racing Bulls. A strong performance in Verstappen’s title-challenging Red Bull could secure the deal.

Pato O’Ward – stepping in for Lando Norris at McLaren

This was announced several months ago, with McLaren clearly recognising the commercial benefits of running the Mexican IndyCar star in front of his home fans. O’Ward, who has Irish ancestry, came second in the IndyCar championship this year, driving for Arrow McLaren, and is an official reserve for their F1 team.

Frederik Vesti – stepping in for George Russell at Mercedes

Like Iwasa, Vesti left F2 in 2023 but has a stronger foothold in the F1 paddock as an official test and reserve driver for Mercedes. Alongside these duties, he’s been racing in America and is a race-winner in the IMSA SportsCar series.