Five Rookie Drivers Set to Take Over F1 Cars in Hungarian GP FP1

Five teams, five changes in Budapest

At least five of Formula 1’s 11 teams will field a rookie during Friday’s opening practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. McLaren, Mercedes, Alpine, Haas and Cadillac will each alter their regular driver line-up, creating a substantial opportunity for emerging talent at the Hungaroring.

The changes follow the 2025 regulation requiring every full-time Formula 1 driver to give up their car to a rookie in two practice sessions during the season. For this purpose, a rookie is defined as a driver who has started no more than two Grands Prix.

McLaren’s decision has already been covered in this preview of Leonardo Fornaroli’s FP1 outing. The full list of Friday substitutions is as follows.

The five rookies on track

Leonardo Fornaroli — McLaren

Leonardo Fornaroli will make his second F1 weekend appearance in Hungary after debuting in FP1 for McLaren at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The 21-year-old Italian joined McLaren’s Driver Development Programme after winning the 2025 F2 title and also serves as the team’s reserve driver.

Fornaroli, who has driven older McLaren and Haas machinery, will replace Oscar Piastri for the opening 60-minute session in Budapest. In Barcelona, he took over Lando Norris’ car.

Fred Vesti — Mercedes

Fred Vesti will replace championship leader Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes. The Dane became the team’s sole reserve driver for the 2026 campaign after more than five years with the Silver Arrows.

Vesti has made five F1 practice appearances since 2023. He will again face the added responsibility of driving a title contender’s car, having also taken part in FP1 at Barcelona.

Paul Aron — Alpine

Paul Aron returns to Alpine after being loaned to Audi for practice outings in Barcelona and Austria. The 22-year-old Estonian will replace Franco Colapinto in FP1 and make his first practice appearance for the Enstone-based team this season.

Aron finished third in the 2024 F2 championship and now supports Alpine’s race drivers, Pierre Gasly and Colapinto.

Ryo Hirakawa — Haas

Ryo Hirakawa will drive Ollie Bearman’s Haas, entering his second FP1 session of 2026 after Austria. The 32-year-old Japanese driver is Haas’s test and reserve driver and currently competes in the World Endurance Championship with Toyota.

Colton Herta — Cadillac

Colton Herta will make his second FP1 appearance for Cadillac after debuting at Barcelona. The 26-year-old American, who serves as the team’s test driver, will replace Valtteri Bottas in the MAC-26.

Herta moved from extensive IndyCar experience to F2 for the 2026 season and currently sits 16th in the standings with 26 points. Hungary will be the first of three further practice sessions he is scheduled to contest this year.