https://shop.fervogear.com/cart
Meet Every Rookie Driver in FP1 of the 2026 F1 Season
Highlights
- FP1 rookie appearances doubled to four sessions per team annually from 2025
- Rookies must have started no more than two Grands Prix to qualify
- Barcelona GP will see multiple teams debuting rookies in FP1 sessions
- McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari plan rookie FP1 runs in Barcelona
- Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad completed both mandated FP1 rookie appearances
- Several teams like Haas, Alpine, Audi yet to run rookie FP1 sessions
Formula 1’s expanded FP1 rookie programme, introduced for 2025, reaches a key checkpoint at Barcelona after Monaco 2026, with teams at markedly different stages of meeting their obligations.
The rule doubles mileage: each car must run a rookie in two FP1 sessions per season, yielding four slots. Eligibility covers drivers with no more than two Grand Prix starts.
Barcelona becomes the launchpad for many. McLaren starts as Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli takes Lando Norris’s seat for FP1 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Mercedes opens with Fred Vesti in FP1, taking Kimi Antonelli’s car. Antonelli still owes one FP1 absence, while George Russell has yet to sit out either mandated session.
Red Bull plans Ayumu Iwasa for Barcelona, replacing Isack Hadjar. Max Verstappen still needs to sit out both rookie‑designated FP1s later, as the team balances mileage against continuity.
Ferrari mirrors that approach. Dino Beganovic will drive in FP1, with Lewis Hamilton stepping aside. Interest around Hamilton’s FP1 replacement underlines the scrutiny these allocations attract.
From 2025, each car must cede two FP1 sessions to a rookie, doubling team obligations to four per season.
Charles Leclerc still has two absences to serve. Williams assigns Luke Browning half its rookie quota, starting with Alex Albon’s car in Barcelona and Carlos Sainz’s car in Austria.
Racing Bulls are ahead of schedule. Full‑season rookie Arvid Lindblad already banked both mandated FP1s in Australia and China, leaving Liam Lawson to cover two later events.
Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad is the only rookie on the grid to have completed both mandated FP1 appearances already.
Aston Martin acted earliest. Jak Crawford ran Alonso’s car at Suzuka, meaning Fernando Alonso has one FP1 to miss, while Lance Stroll still must accommodate two rookie sessions.
Several teams reached Monaco without using any rookie slots. Haas must schedule FP1 absences for Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto still await mileage.
Audi turns to Paul Aron in Barcelona in place of Nico Hülkenberg, while Gabriel Bortoleto retains two FP1 runs. Sequencing rookie time competes with development plans and correlation targets.
Cadillac intends to debut Colton Herta at Barcelona in Sergio Perez’s car, with Perez facing one sit‑out and Valtteri Bottas needing two. Attention on Herta’s rookie FP1 debut has intensified.
The Spanish timetable compresses evaluation and tyre preparation. Teams balance set‑up compromises against rookie mileage within the Barcelona schedule, targeting representative runs without undermining baseline development.
Barcelona is the focal point for multiple teams to start, or accelerate, their rookie FP1 programmes this season.
The intention remains clear. These sessions seed future race drivers, add correlation data, and expand opportunity beyond simulator work, provided run plans are robust and objectives unambiguous.
As programmes accelerate, attention turns to execution quality and which rookies transform laps into meaningful simulator gains and future chances through 2026’s second half.
Visual Summary
?
RB
?
RB
?
?️
Aston
?
Aston
?
?️
McLaren
?
McLaren
?
?️
Mercedes
?
Mercedes
?
?️
Ferrari
?
Ferrari
?
?️
Red Bull
?
Red Bull
?
?️
Audi
?
Audi
?
?️
Cadillac
?
Cadillac
?
?️
Williams
?
Williams
?
Rookie Takeoff: Barcelona Grand Prix
New rookie rule: 4 rookie FP1 appearances/team — The runway is filling up!
New rookie rule: 4 rookie FP1 appearances/team — The runway is filling up!
Rookie FP1 Progress: Team-by-Team
McLaren
0/4
0/4
Mercedes
0/4
0/4
Ferrari
0/4
0/4
Audi
0/4
0/4
Williams
0/4
0/4
Red Bull
0/4
0/4
Racing Bulls
2/4
2/4
Lindblad’s rookie double is done!
Aston Martin
1/4
1/4
Cadillac
0/4
0/4
Haas / Alpine
0/4
0/4
Barcelona FP1 Rookie Pilot Roster
?
Fornaroli
McLaren
for Norris
for Norris
?
Vesti
Mercedes
for Antonelli
for Antonelli
?
Beganovic
Ferrari
for Hamilton
for Hamilton
?
Iwasa
Red Bull
for Hadjar
for Hadjar
?
Browning
Williams
for Albon
for Albon
?
Aron
Audi
for Hülkenberg
for Hülkenberg
?
Herta
Cadillac
for Perez
for Perez
A new era takes off: rookies will light up Barcelona’s FP1—the most rookie debuts in one Grand Prix weekend ever.
From future stars to international wildcards: Who will fly highest on the runway?
From future stars to international wildcards: Who will fly highest on the runway?
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
Related FervoGear guide: custom race suits built for driver protection, custom fit, and sponsor-ready design.
