Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren are among the nine teams that will be welcoming rookie drivers into the garage for FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. Friday’s session is the last opportunity for teams to fulfil their mandatory allocations this season.
Christian Horner’s organisation are the only team on the grid that will be swapping both of their drivers for FP1 this weekend. One of the men stepping in for Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is Jake Dennis, who was crowned Formula E champion for the first time earlier this year following a tense title battle with Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans.
The 28-year-old will be joined in the Red Bull garage by Isack Hadjar. The French prospect enjoyed his first taste of F1 machinery with AlphaTauri last month, driving for the Italian team in the first practice session ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.
Mercedes will once again call upon the services of Frederik Vesti. The Danish driver is another to have competed in an FP1 session already this season and heads into the weekend in Abu Dhabi with a shot at claiming the Formula 2 title as well. He replaces Lewis Hamilton on Friday.
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There will also be a familiar face behind the wheel of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari as Robert Shwartzman returns to the paddock. The 24-year-old has been absent from full-time racing since he was crowned vice-champion in F2 back in 2021, but this will be his fourth FP1 outing for the Prancing Horse.
The highest-profile name on the list is in the McLaren garage as multiple-time IndyCar race winner Pato O’Ward steps in for Lando Norris. The Mexican is taking over Alex Palou’s reserve duties next season and is seen as a potential long-term hope for the Woking-based team’s F1 operation.
F2 points leader and title favourite Theo Pourchaire returns for Alfa Romeo as he hopes to enjoy a less turbulent session than in Mexico, while Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman are also making their FP1 returns for Alpine and Haas respectively.
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Felipe Drugovich has been a regular fixture in FP1 sessions for Aston Martin since signing on with the team off the back of his F2 title triumph last season. The Brazilian will replace Fernando Alonso on Friday having already taken Lance Stroll’s place back in Monza.
However, potentially the most interesting call-up comes at Williams where Zak O’Sullivan replaces Alex Albon. The 18-year-old was driving in Formula 3 this season where he finished as vice-champion and is seen as one of the most promising British drivers in the feeder series ranks.
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