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2026 Mexican Grand Prix: Full List of FP1 Driver Swaps
Amir Azimi
Daily News

2026 Mexican Grand Prix: Full List of FP1 Driver Swaps

2026 Mexican Grand Prix Sees Several Young Drivers Take FP1 Seats

The 2026 Mexican Grand Prix will showcase promising talent as several young drivers take over in Free Practice 1 (FP1). This follows Formula 1's rule requiring rookies to participate in four FP1 sessions during the season, giving reserve or test drivers crucial track time at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Teams usually rotate drivers during weekends with three practice sessions, allowing main drivers to keep FP2 and FP3 for car setup while reserves gain experience in FP1.

Recent FP1 Substitute

Colton Herta, who substituted for Sergio Perez at the United States Grand Prix driving a Cadillac, recently completed 21 laps at Circuit of The Americas. He earned one Super Licence point through this run.

Herta will appear in FP1 again in Mexico, along with other rising stars.

Confirmed FP1 Replacements for Mexico

  • Colton Herta, Cadillac: Needs one more Super Licence point to reach the 40-point threshold to qualify for an F1 seat. Completing 100 kilometers on Friday could push him closer to a 2027 Formula 1 debut, pending Cadillac's decision.
  • Frederik Vesti, Mercedes: Substituting for George Russell, Vesti is experienced, finishing second in the 2023 Formula 2 championship and participating in multiple FP1 sessions. He's been part of Mercedes' development program since 2021.
  • Leonardo Fornaroli, McLaren: The current F2 champion will drive Lando Norris' McLaren. This marks Fornaroli’s fourth FP1 session this year. He also claimed the 2024 F3 title but has yet to secure a permanent F1 seat.
  • Gabriele Minì, Alpine: Taking over Franco Colapinto's car, Minì makes his FP1 debut. He races with MP Motorsport in F2. Alpine previously handed FP1 opportunities to Paul Aron at Hungary and Monza.
  • Freddie Slater, Audi: The 18-year-old British driver replaces Gabriel Bortoleto, making his FP1 debut. Slater was runner-up in this year's F3 and moves up to F2 with Invicta Racing in 2027.
  • Luke Browning, Williams: Filling in for Alex Albon, Browning takes part in his third FP1 session this year, with another scheduled in Brazil next weekend. He is a member of the Williams Driver Academy.
  • Jak Crawford, Aston Martin: Driving Lance Stroll’s car, Crawford completes his fourth and final FP1 outing of the season. He has already driven the AMR-26 in Japan, Austria, and Belgium and serves as Aston Martin’s reserve driver.

Potential Additional FP1 Drivers

There are rumors about two more reserve drivers joining FP1 sessions, though confirmations are still pending.

  • Ryo Hirakawa: May replace Haas' Esteban Ocon. Hirakawa is Haas’ second reserve alongside Jack Doohan.
  • Ayumu Iwasa: Could stand in for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Iwasa currently competes for Team Mugen in the Super Formula Championship.

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