The Mexican GP will experience rookie day

Nine teams decided to comply with the rookie regulations at the Hermanos Rodríguez, venue of the 20th round of F1. Thus, the first free practice will be full of unusual names.

The F1 regulations are clear: all teams must hand over both cars twice a year to a rookie in the first free practice of the race weekend.. Drivers who meet the rookie standard are those who have competed in up to two Grand Prix. Therefore, in the case of the seats that were occupied by rookies as starters, they themselves complied with the rule, such as the cases of Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber).

The 2025 season entered its final stretch and, with five races to go, only Sauber settled the rookie debt, with Paul Aron taking Nico Hülkenberg’s place twice.. The remaining nine teams still must comply with the regulations and the Mexico City GP was chosen by everyone (in Abu Dhabi, the last date, it will be completed with those still missing). Thus, the competition at Hermanos Rodríguez will experience rookie day on Friday. Here, the list by team.

Red Bull: Arvid Lindblad will take the seat in Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. The young Englishman, the gem that the Austrians want to promote in the near future, has already participated in FP1 of the British GP with Yuki Tsunoda’s RB21. This time it will be the champion who gives him the place.

Alpine: Paul Aron will get on Pierre Gasly’s A525. For the Estonian it will be the fourth free practice he will do this year, after having been loaned to Sauber (the Swiss have no rookie of their own) to replace Nico Hülkenberg in Great Britain and Hungary. It will also be his second test with Alpine after having used Franco Colapinto’s car in Monza.

Aston Martin: Jak Crawford will replace Lance Stroll. It will be the American’s first participation in an F1 FP1. Currently escorting Leonardo Fornaroli in F2, Crawford will return to turn in Abu Dhabi in place of the Canadian. Fernando Alonso’s car has already completed its two practices by giving up the seat to Felipe Drugovich, who left the English team to race in Formula E.

Ferrari: Antonio Fuoco will get into Lewis Hamilton’s SF-25. The 29-year-old Italian is a driver for the Scuderia in the WEC. With a past in GP3 and F2, the Calabrian will have his debut in an F1 within a Grand Prix weekend.

Haas: Ryo Hirakawa will replace Oliver Bearman. It will be the Japanese’s fifth participation in FP1. He toured with McLaren in Abu Dhabi 2024 and this year he was in Japan with Alpine and in Bahrain and Spain with Haas. As a member of the Toyota WEC team, the Japanese left the French team after its test in Japan to join the American team, which has a technical and commercial link with Toyota.

McLaren: Patricio O’Ward will ride Lando Norris’ MCL39. Without Checo Pérez on the grid (he will return next year with Cadillac), the Mexicans will have at least one compatriot in FP1 with the driver who races in IndyCar. It will be his fourth participation in Grand Prix training after Abu Dhabi (2022 and 2023) and Mexico 2024. Norris will thus comply with the regulations (Alex Dunne, now out of McLaren, replaced him in Austria).

Mercedes: Frederik Vesti will use George Russell’s car. The Englishman will finish complying with the regulations in Mexico by giving up his seat to the Dane, who had already replaced him in Bahrain.

Racing Bulls: Ayumu Iwasa will replace Liam Lawson. The Japanese, a member of the Red Bull program, had already replaced Max Verstappen in the main team in Bahrain. Now it will be the New Zealander’s turn at the Faenza-based team.

Williams: Luke Browning will replace Carlos Sainz. The Englishman, an F2 driver, had already spun with the Spaniard’s FW47 in Bahrain. The Madrid native will finish complying with the regulations in Mexico by once again handing over the wheel to the 23-year-old young man.