Oscar Piastri faces a setback in his bid to clinch the Formula 1 championship this weekend as he is one of the drivers who will miss the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. A total of nine racers are affected by a rule introduced at the beginning of 2025.
The upcoming race at the Yas Marina Circuit will determine the championship winner, with Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen in contention for the top spot. While a podium finish for Norris could secure him the title, any errors on his part could give his rivals an opportunity.
Given the high stakes in Abu Dhabi, it is crucial for drivers to maximize their practice time. However, almost half of the grid will be absent from the first hour of running due to the requirement for teams to provide chances for rookie drivers.
Throughout the season, each team must 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 among those being substituted, with Pato O’Ward filling in for him at McLaren. Additionally, Lewis Hamilton will not participate in the session as Ferrari has announced that Arthur Leclerc, the younger brother of his teammate Charles Leclerc, will take his place.
Various driver changes will occur for FP1, such as Arvid Lindblad replacing Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull, Ayumu Iwasa stepping in for Liam Lawson at RB, and Ryo Hirakawa taking over from Esteban Ocon at Haas.
Moreover, Alex Albon will be replaced by Williams academy member Luke Browning, while Aston Martin will field 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. The team has already fulfilled their rookie practice session requirements.
Abu Dhabi is a popular location for rookie sessions, especially during the final weekend of the season. These sessions are crucial for the development of young drivers, with many progressing to full-time positions in the future. Drivers like Antonelli and Oliver Bearman secured spots for 2025 after participating in practice sessions last season.
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