Last month’s Mexican GP was scattered with Formula 2 drivers partaking in FP1 as F1 teams are facing a last minute challenge to meet requirements for the season.
In total, five drove in the session because FIA rules state every driver must give up an FP1 outing for a rookie, who has no more than two grand prix starts. However, full-time F1 drivers who started the season as a rookie are exempt from this rule.
With half of the teams entering an F2 driver for FP1 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, many will follow suit for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi GP as it is the season finale.
Here is a rundown of where each team stands, and who still has to run a rookie in practice:
Red Bull
- Drive 1: not yet run
- Drive 2: not yet run
Red Bull is the only team to not have used a rookie in FP1 this season. In an unusual move, they will use both slots in Abu Dhabi as team boss Christian Horner said that specific FP1 session tends to have little impact on the rest of the weekend.
F2’s Isack Hadjar will drive one of the cars after the Red Bull junior performed well for AlphaTauri in Mexico. Hadjar finished 17th in the session, which was second highest of any F2 driver, while completing 25 laps. His FP1 outing in Abu Dhabi will come on the same weekend as the F2 season finale, where Hadjar is 14th in the standings, with a third-place finish at the Red Bull Ring his best result.
Red Bull also turned heads by announcing Jake Dennis as its other rookie. The reigning Formula E world champion has never competed during an official F1 grand prix weekend, but has been the team's simulator and development driver since 2018.
Mercedes
- Drive 1: Frederik Vesti - Mexico GP - 19th
- Drive 2: not yet run
Mercedes used the first of its mandatory sessions in Mexico by placing Frederik Vesti in George Russell’s car. The F2 driver impressed team boss Toto Wolff with his performance, even though Vesti came 19th after completing a low-speed testing programme for the Silver Arrows where 26 laps were completed.
The Dane will step into Lewis Hamilton’s car at Yas Marina Circuit, continuing a promising 2023 for Vesti. He has won five races in F2 this season and is second in the standings, 25 points behind leader Theo Pourchaire ahead of the season finale.
Ferrari
- Drive 1: Robert Shwartzman - Dutch GP - 19th
- Drive 2: not yet run
Ferrari reserve driver Robert Shwartzman drove Carlos Sainz’s car in FP1 for the Dutch Grand Prix. Shwartzman had a difficult session, finishing last of those to have set a lap time, but his FP1 was more about testing aero balance solutions than actual performance runs.
The 2021 F2 runner-up, who raced in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup in 2023, will return for Abu Dhabi taking over Charles Leclerc’s car. Ferrari’s reserve driver also took part in FP1 at Yas Marina Circuit in 2022, finishing seventh with 24 laps and was just 0.5s off Leclerc.
McLaren
- Drive 1: Oscar Piastri - all races
- Drive 2: not yet run
Unlike most teams, McLaren started the 2023 F1 season with one of its mandatory slots already filled. The British outfit replaced Daniel Ricciardo with rookie Oscar Piastri, who has impressed in his first campaign having scored two podiums, as well as a sprint race victory in Qatar.
Piastri will be joined by IndyCar’s Pato O’Ward for FP1 in Abu Dhabi, as he will drive Lando Norris’ car for his second FP1 outing, having completed the same session last year. The Mexican finished 18th that day with 22 laps completed, but missed parts due to a technical fault.
Aston Martin
- Drive 1: Felipe Drugovich - Italian GP - 18th
- Drive 2: not yet run
Reigning F2 champion Felipe Drugovich drove for Aston Martin in FP1 at the Italian GP. The team’s reserve driver was praised for doing a solid job, completing 24 laps in Lance Stroll’s car.
He will drive Fernando Alonso’s car in Abu Dhabi for his third FP1 outing. He took part in the same session in Abu Dhabi last year, facing a difficult session and finishing last with 23 laps completed.
Alpine
- Drive 1: Jack Doohan - Mexican GP - 18th
- Drive 2: not yet run
Jack Doohan also took part in FP1 for the Mexican GP, where he completed 25 laps and finished 18th in Pierre Gasly’s car. The Alpine junior, son of five-time 500cc world champion Mick Doohan, will drive again in Abu Dhabi this weekend taking over Esteban Ocon’s car.
This means he will have completed two FP1 sessions in each of the past two seasons, as he also drove in Mexico and Abu Dhabi last year. After this weekend, Doohan’s future options are up in the air, as he confirmed 2023 will be his final in F2. He is currently fourth in the standings.
Williams
- Drive 1: Logan Sargeant - all races
- Drive 2: not yet run
Like McLaren, Williams signed a rookie driver for 2023, which automatically used up one of its slots. Logan Sargeant joined to partner Alex Albon after finishing fourth in the 2022 F2 standings.
Sargeant will be joined by Williams junior Zak O’Sullivan for FP1 in Abu Dhabi, with the 18-year-old set to make his F1 debut. The Briton, who won the 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, has been part of the Williams Driver Academy since February 2022 and finished runner-up in the 2023 F3 standings ahead of his F2 debut next year.
AlphaTauri
- Drive 1: Nyck de Vries, Bahrain GP to British GP; Liam Lawson, Dutch GP to Qatar GP
- Drive 2: Isack Hadjar - Mexican GP - 17th
AlphaTauri is the only team to have already met the requirements for 2023. They signed rookie Nyck de Vries for this season, but the 2020-21 Formula E world champion was dropped after 10 grands prix.
Later on, the team ran another rookie in that car, as reserve driver Liam Lawson replaced de Vries' injured replacement Daniel Ricciardo. However, because they all drove the same car that only filled up one of AlphaTauri’s mandatory slots. The team put Hadjar in Yuki Tsunoda’s car for FP1 at the Mexican GP, so AlphaTauri is not expected to run any rookies this weekend.
Alfa Romeo
- Drive 1: Theo Pourchaire - Mexican GP - 20th
- Drive 2: not yet run
Alfa Romeo’s first mandatory session came in Mexico, when Pourchaire endured a disruptive outing for the team. The Sauber junior failed to complete a competitive lap as a mechanical problem ended his session early.
The Frenchman will get another chance this weekend though, as he is set to take over Zhou Guanyu’s car before trying to seal the F2 crown. It will be Pourchaire’s third FP1 session, as he also drove for Alfa Romeo in Austin last year where the Frenchman came 18th while completing 19 laps.
Haas
- Drive 1: Oliver Bearman - Mexican GP - 15th
- Drive 2: not yet run
Haas was the fifth team to run a rookie in Mexico, as Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman replaced Kevin Magnussen for FP1. Bearman impressed on his F1 debut, and the 18-year-old was the highest placed F2 driver, finishing 15th with 31 laps completed.
He will drive again for Haas this weekend where Bearman will drive Nico Hulkenberg’s car. It comes after an impressive year for the Briton, who has so far won four races in his rookie F2 campaign - the second highest of any driver after Vesti.
