Owing to Formula 1 regulations mandating two rookie outings per car this season on race weekends, nine youngsters will partake in Free Practice 1 at the Mexico Grand Prix.
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is now a well-known circuit where teams have gathered lots of data and where the track usually is quite dusty in FP1; it is not a sprint weekend and upgrades are becoming scarcer and scarcer, meaning it is an ideal place for a regular driver to sit the opening session out.
Pato O’Ward, Reserve Driver, McLaren F1 Team
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Monterrey native Pato O’Ward will take part in Free Practice 1 in front of his home crowd for the second time after 2024, having also run in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and 2023.
The 26-year-old finished second in the IndyCar championship with Arrow McLaren this year, having competed for the team since 2020.
Now-former McLaren junior Alex Dunne previously ran in Austria and Italy this year, so Oscar Piastri still will have to sit another session out – with Abu Dhabi clearly the best remaining option.
2024 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Antonio Fuoco will appear on a grand prix weekend for the first time, with the longtime Ferrari driver taking the wheel of Lewis Hamilton’s SF-25.
Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic replaced Charles Leclerc in Bahrain and Austria, so Hamilton will be required to give another session a miss.
Red Bull – Arvid Lindblad in for Max Verstappen
Arvid Lindblad Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Erik Junius
Arvid Lindblad is getting more track time as he prepares for a likely graduation to Formula 1 with Racing Bulls in 2026; Lindblad holds seventh place in his rookie Formula 2 season and was previously seen in action with Red Bull at Silverstone.
Another Red Bull junior, Ayumu Iwasa, took part in FP1 in Bahrain, and Tsunoda will need to vacate his car once more later on.
Having failed to get an opportunity in Formula 1, 2023 F2 runner-up Frederik Vesti has turned to endurance racing, but he’s still involved with the Mercedes F1 team.
This will be the Dane’s fourth FP1 outing after Mexico and Abu Dhabi last year, and Bahrain this season.
This will complete the set for Mercedes, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli was considered a rookie in the first two grands prix of 2025.
Aston Martin – Jak Crawford in for Lance Stroll
Current Formula 2 title contender Jak Crawford is set for his first-ever grand prix outing, having already tested Aston Martin’s previous three F1 cars on various occasions.
Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich previously replaced Fernando Alonso in Bahrain and Hungary, meaning Lance Stroll will have to sit another session out by the end of the year.
Paul Aron, Alpine F1
Photo by: Federico Manoni / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Paul Aron may have no racing programme in 2025, but last year’s third-place F2 finisher certainly is getting a lot of track time in FP1.
Alpine loaned its reserve driver out to Sauber in Britain and Hungary, before entering him itself in Italy and now Mexico; the Estonian is rumoured to be a strong contender for the second seat in 2026.
Ryo Hirakawa was in action for Alpine at his home Suzuka track, but the team previously opted not to declare Jack Doohan’s Melbourne entry as a rookie outing, officially “to keep it equitable with two driver changes for both cars”.
Regardless, this will be the first time Pierre Gasly has vacated his car this year, so he’ll need to do so again later on, with Aron expected to step up once again.
Haas – Ryo Hirakawa in for Oliver Bearman
Having switched allegiance from Alpine to Haas straight after his Japanese GP outing, Hirakawa drove for the American team in Bahrain and Spain.
This will be the second time Hirakawa has replaced Oliver Bearman who, despite being 11 years younger, lost his rookie status after taking part in three grands prix last year.
Esteban Ocon will still be required to sit another session out.
Racing Bulls – Ayumu Iwasa in for Liam Lawson
Ayumu Iwasa, Racing Bulls Team
Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
The Racing Bulls line-up will change for the first time this season as rookie Isack Hadjar fulfilled the rules early on for his side of the garage.
Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa, who was in action with the main team in Bahrain, will now drive Liam Lawson’s sister car; the New Zealander will be required to vacate his seat once more.
Iwasa previously drove for the Faenza-based squad in FP1 last year, in Japan and Abu Dhabi.
Williams has so far given its mandatory FP1 rookie outings to its juniors, with Luke Browning getting a second outing after Bahrain while new protege Victor Martins was in action at Barcelona.
Alexander Albon will still need to give another FP1 session a miss.
Sauber – No changes
Sauber no longer needs to run any youngsters. Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto fulfilled the requirement on his side of the garage while, as previously stated, Paul Aron was loaned out by Alpine to stand in for Nico Hulkenberg at Silverstone and the Hungaroring.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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