Four Formula 1 teams will hand track time to reserve and rookie drivers during first practice at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, as the championship approaches its mandatory mid-season shutdown.
McLaren, Cadillac, Haas and Alpine have all confirmed changes for the opening 60-minute session at the Hungaroring on Friday, with four regular race drivers standing aside to fulfil FP1 rookie obligations.
**Leonardo Fornaroli** will make his second FP1 appearance of the season, replacing Oscar Piastri at McLaren. The Italian reserve driver will be entrusted with the MCL40, which arrives in Budapest carrying a significant upgrade package. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has indicated the team is actively exploring additional FP1 opportunities for Fornaroli with other outfits, as fellow reserve Pato O'Ward pursues a release from his F1 commitments.
**Colton Herta** continues his push towards a full-time F1 seat by stepping in for Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac. The American Formula 2 star, who previously substituted for Sergio Perez in Barcelona, will face a tight turnaround — F2 is also racing in Hungary this weekend, with qualifying scheduled shortly after the conclusion of FP1.
At Haas, **Ryo Hirakawa** takes over from Oliver Bearman. The 32-year-old Japanese driver — a Super Formula and former Super GT champion — makes his second FP1 outing of the season, having previously replaced Esteban Ocon in Austria.
**Paul Aron** completes the quartet of rookie runners, with Franco Colapinto making way at Alpine. The Estonian reserve driver makes his third FP1 appearance of the season, though this will be his first for Alpine — his previous outings came on loan to Audi in Barcelona and Austria.
All four drivers are gaining valuable mileage under F1's mandatory rookie FP1 regulations, which require each team to field a driver with no more than two grand prix starts in at least two Friday sessions per season. For Aron, the Hungarian session brings his total to three appearances, the most of any substitute driver in the field this year.
The Hungarian Grand Prix marks the final event before F1's enforced three-week summer break, making this weekend a critical opportunity for teams to evaluate both performance upgrades and their reserve driver pool before the season resumes.
Sources
- https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1101547/1/full-list-f1-drivers-replaced-hungarian-gp-fp1-rookies-step
