Mexico GP to look very different as NINE F1 teams make driver line-up changes
Formula 1 rules require all drivers to give up at least two practice sessions per season, to allow 'rookie' racers the chance to get experience of driving on a race weekend
Almost half the Formula 1 grid will look very different at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday with a swathe of the sport's megastars set to sit out the first practice session of the weekend. Four-time champion Max Verstappen and the British quartet of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell and Oliver Bearman are among those who will be temporarily sidelined.
F1 rules require all drivers to give up at least two practice sessions per season to allow 'rookie' drivers to get experience of driving on a race weekend. That is an increase from the one switch per car that was required last year.
With every team on the grid still yet to fulfil their quota for the season, almost everyone has had the same idea of using this weekend's action at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as an opportunity to make progress on their compliance. Only Sauber have yet to announce any plan to run a rookie racer in FP1 on Friday.
It is such a popular choice as, of the other four remaining race weekends this season, two of them will use the Sprint format and so there is only one practice session rather than three. Mirror Sport takes a look at the nine rookies who will get the chance to shine – and those who will make way for them.
Paul Aron – replacing Pierre Gasly at Alpine
A man who may find himself in a race seat next season, or possibly even before the end of this one. Flavio Briatore has said Alpine reserve Aron, who finished third in F2 last year, is in contention to replace Franco Colapinto who hasn't scored a point all year.
Luke Browning – replacing Carlos Sainz at Williams
Brit Browning is third in the F2 standings and in the title battle. This will be his third F1 free practice appearance but, at 23, a full-time promotion looks unlikely – especially with no room at the Williams inn any time soon.
Jak Crawford – replacing Lance Stroll at Aston Martin
Making his F1 weekend debut is American racer Crawford, second in the F2 standings. He's represented Aston Martin well with four wins in F2 this year but has been strongly linked with a switch to new American squad Cadillac as their reserve next year.
Antonio Fuoco – replacing Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
This switch is less about blooding a young talent than it is rewarding an established one. Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton will step aside for Italian Fuoco who stars for Ferrari's World Endurance Championship programme and won the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours. It's his F1 free practice debut.
Ryo Hirakawa – replacing Oliver Bearman at Haas
Another 'rookie' who is older than half the F1 grid, Hirakawa has turned out for McLaren and Alpine in the past and is now affiliated with Haas through their Toyota Gazoo Racing partnership. It's his fourth FP1 outing this year with a fifth to come in Abu Dhabi.
Ayumi Iwasa – replacing Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls
Yet to get his chance 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. He hasn't set the track alight in that series and so an F1 future seems unlikely.
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It's something of an audition for British teenager Lindblad, who is in the frame for a promotion to F1 next year with junior squad Racing Bulls. A strong showing in Verstappen's title-challenging Red Bull could seal the deal.
Pato O'Ward – replacing Lando Norris at McLaren
This one was announced months ago, with McLaren clearly eyeing the commercial benefits of running the Mexican IndyCar star in front of his home fans. O'Ward, who has Irish ancestry, was runner-up in the IndyCar championship this year, driving for Arrow McLaren, and is an official reserve for their F1 team.
Frederik Vesti – replacing George Russell at Mercedes
Like Iwasa, Vesti left F2 in 2023 but has more of a foothold in the F1 paddock as an official test and reserve driver for Mercedes. He's been racing in America alongside those duties and is a race-winner in the IMSA SportsCar series.
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