Oscar Piastri faces a setback in his pursuit of the Formula 1 championship this weekend as he, along with eight other drivers, will be absent from the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to a new regulation introduced in 2025.
The upcoming race at the Yas Marina Circuit will determine the champion, with Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen competing for the top spot of the season. While a podium finish for Norris could secure him the title, any errors on his part could provide opportunities for his rivals.
Given the importance of the Abu Dhabi race, it is crucial for drivers to maximize their practice time. However, nearly half of the grid will miss the initial hour of running as teams are required to give rookie drivers a chance to participate in practice sessions.
Throughout the season, each team must include a rookie driver in two free practice sessions per car, totaling four sessions per team. Since several teams still need to meet their rookie session quota, a number of new faces will be seen in FP1 this weekend.
Piastri is among the drivers being substituted, with Pato O’Ward taking over his McLaren. In addition, Lewis Hamilton will also be absent from the session, as Ferrari announced that Arthur Leclerc will replace him.
Several other driver changes will occur for FP1, including Arvid Lindblad filling in for Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull, Ayumu Iwasa taking Liam Lawson’s place at RB, and Ryo Hirakawa stepping in for Esteban Ocon at Haas.
Moreover, Alex Albon will be replaced by Luke Browning in the Williams academy, while Aston Martin will field two rookies, Cian Shields and Jak Crawford, in place of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, respectively.
Alpine will have Paul Aron driving in his fifth FP1 session of the season, taking over from Pierre Gasly. Mercedes and Sauber have already completed their mandatory rookie practice sessions, allowing George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Nico Hulkenberg, and Gabriel Bortoleto to participate as usual.
Abu Dhabi is a popular venue for rookie sessions, especially given that it is the final weekend of the season. These sessions are vital for the growth of young drivers, often leading to permanent race seats. Promising talents like Antonelli and Oliver Bearman secured full-time positions for the 2025 season after gaining experience in practice sessions last year.