Nearly every F1 team will field a rookie driver during Friday’s opening practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Ferrari the only outfit not to alter their line-up.
Just like in 2025, the regulations mandate that every full-time racer must make way for a rookie – viewed as someone who has started no more than two Grands Prix – in two practice sessions across the season.
But who exactly will be out on track? From experienced reserve drivers to those preparing to make their debut, here’s an overview of the 10 rookies set to make a Friday appearance…
Fred Vesti – Mercedes
Since becoming a Mercedes junior in 2021, Fred Vesti has made his way up to the role of third driver, in which he carries out crucial work on the simulator to support Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
He is also no stranger to FP1 sessions, having appeared for the team at this season’s Barcelona-Catalunya and Hungarian Grands Prix, building on the experience he’s gained through his numerous outings – the first of which came in 2023.
After stepping in for championship leader Antonelli in Hungary, Vesti will replace Russell for the opening 60-minute session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Ayumu Iwasa – Red Bull
Ayumu Iwasa is enjoying a busy season as he balances a Super Formula campaign – in which he is the reigning champion after winning the 2025 title – with his duties as Racing Bulls’ test and reserve driver.
Due to the team’s intrinsic connection to Red Bull, the Japanese racer has received FP1 opportunities at both outfits, spread across Barcelona, Austria, Italy and Mexico City this year alone.
Just as in Italy, Iwasa will get behind the wheel of Max Verstappen’s RB22 and give the Dutchman some catching up to do later in the weekend, but with five wins at this track under his belt, it’s clearly a happy hunting ground for the driver chasing P2 in the standings.
Leonardo Fornaroli – McLaren
Leonardo Fornaroli joined McLaren’s Driver Development Programme fresh off the back of his triumphant F2 season in 2025, and has made plenty of appearances for the defending Teams’ Champions since.
He took part in a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) weekend earlier this month at France’s Circuit Paul Ricard, marking his sixth F1 test with the team, and will undertake back-to-back FP1 sessions in Mexico City and Sao Paulo.
The 21-year-old, who previously finished an eye-catching fifth in FP1 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, will take Lando Norris’ place as he continues to learn the intricacies of the MCL40.
Nikola Tsolov – Racing Bulls
The first new name on this list, Nikola Tsolov will make what could be an important first F1 appearance for Racing Bulls, with the team still yet to announce their driver line-up for the 2027 season.
Tsolov is a highly rated talent and sits just seven points off the lead of the F2 standings, but has only driven in showruns and a TPC test at Imola since signing for the Red Bull Junior Team in 2025.
Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane has made it clear that they’re weighing the 19-year-old up against current drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, so Tsolov has a chance to impress when he replaces the former in Friday’s FP1 session.
Gabriele Mini – Alpine
Gabriele Mini is another F2 driver making his debut this weekend, having been a member of the Alpine Academy since 2023 when he made the transition from Formula Regional to F3.
After finishing seventh in his first season, the Italian finished as runner-up in 2024 before embarking on a trio of campaigns in F2 – he’s now fourth in the standings with two victories and a further seven podiums.
While reserve driver Paul Aron has been given the bulk of FP1 opportunities by Alpine this year, it’s Mini who will jump in the cockpit of Franco Colapinto’s A526 in Mexico City.
Ryo Hirakawa – Haas
Although Haas have signed Ferrari junior Rafael Camara for 2027, veteran racer Ryo Hirakawa will drive in FP1 for the third time this season, having stepped in at the Red Bull Ring and Hungaroring.
On top of his responsibilities as the American squad’s test and reserve driver, the 32-year-old has built an impressive career with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship.
Esteban Ocon, who will depart Haas at the end of the year, will make way for Hirakawa in the first hour of practice this weekend.
Freddie Slater – Audi
Freddie Slater, the very first member of Audi‘s Driver Development Programme, is another rising star and will get his first taste of F1 machinery at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
After the 18-year-old narrowly missed out on the F3 title, it was confirmed that he will progress to F2 next season, leading Audi Racing Director Allan McNish to declare that “it is the right time for Freddie to step up”.
Like Fornaroli, he will drive in both Mexico City and Sao Paulo, hopping into Gabriel Bortoleto’s R26 on this occasion.
Luke Browning – Williams
Like Iwasa, Luke Browning is driving in Super Formula alongside his role as reserve driver for Williams, which has seen him offered FP1 drives in Barcelona, Austria, Italy, Mexico City and Sao Paulo.
Teams usually set aside four practice sessions for rookie drivers as per the regulations, but in Browning’s case, the Grove-based outfit gave him one extra after an electrical issue prevented him from heading out on track at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The 24-year-old finished in P15 just above Carlos Sainz at Monza and will once again take over Alex Albon’s FW48 this weekend.
Jak Crawford – Aston Martin
A year on from his free practice debut in Mexico City, Aston Martin’s reserve driver Jak Crawford will return to the track and take Lance Stroll’s seat.
It will mark his final FP1 appearance of the season after outings in Japan, Austria – where he took his highest finish of P20, placing above Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso – and Belgium.
Colton Herta – Cadillac
American driver Colton Herta will participate in his fifth practice session of the year for Cadillac as he edges closer towards securing his Super Licence, which he will achieve if he completes at least 100km of running on Friday.
That could make him a serious candidate for a future seat at the team, especially when combined with his experience in IndyCar and F2. As it stands, he’s 19th in the latter, but it’s understood that he impressed Cadillac during prior FP1 outings in Barcelona, Hungary and the United States.
Another planned drive in Italy was limited to five laps due to technical issues, but Herta will have a chance to finish the laps he needs when he takes the wheel of Valtteri Bottas’ MAC-26.
