Oscar Piastri faces a setback in his pursuit of the Formula 1 championship this weekend as he, along with eight other drivers, will miss the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to a regulation introduced at the beginning of 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. A podium finish for Norris could secure him the title, but any errors could give his rivals an opportunity.
Given the importance of the Abu Dhabi race, it is crucial for drivers to maximize their practice time. However, almost half of the grid will be absent from the initial hour of running due to a rule mandating teams to provide chances for rookie drivers.
Throughout the season, each team is required to include a rookie driver in two free practice sessions per car, totaling four sessions per team. Several teams still need to meet their rookie session quota, leading to the inclusion of new faces in FP1 this weekend.
Piastri is one of the drivers being substituted, with Pato O’Ward taking his place at McLaren. Additionally, Lewis Hamilton will not participate in the session as Ferrari announced that Arthur Leclerc, Charles Leclerc’s younger brother, will replace him.
Various driver changes will occur in FP1, including Arvid Lindblad driving for Racing Bulls, Ayumu Iwasa taking over at Red Bull, and Ryo Hirakawa replacing Esteban Ocon at Haas.
Alex Albon will be replaced by Luke Browning from the Williams academy, while Aston Martin will give opportunities to Cian Shields and Jak Crawford in place of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, respectively.
Alpine will feature Paul Aron in his fifth FP1 outing of the season, subbing for Pierre Gasly. Mercedes and Sauber have already fulfilled their rookie practice session requirements, allowing George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Nico Hulkenberg, and Gabriel Bortoleto to participate as usual.
Abu Dhabi is considered an ideal location for rookie sessions, especially since it is the season’s final weekend. FP1 occurs under daytime conditions, different from those during qualifying and the race. These sessions are vital for young driver development, often leading to future full-time opportunities.
Formula 1 enthusiasts can catch every practice, qualifying, and race live by taking advantage of Sky’s new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle, offering significant savings and access to over 100 TV channels, along with free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.