All nine rookies taking part in Abu Dhabi FP1 as Oscar Piastri’s McLaren absence explained

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Nine rookies will take part in the final FP1 of the 2025 season this weekend in Abu Dhabi, with eight teams replacing their drivers for the session.

All ten of the teams must run two practice sessions with a rookie per individual car as part of the F1 regulations.

A rookie is considered to be a driver with fewer than two grand prix starts, meaning several teams completed half their quota early in the season.

Abu Dhabi proves to be a popular choice for teams to run rookies during the first practice due to it being the final race of the season, so the data on the car is not as useful as it was earlier in the year.

Only two teams have completed their rookie allocation for the 2025 season, with Mercedes and Sauber opting not to field a new driver this weekend.

Read More: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race and qualifying times and how to watch 2025 Formula 1 title decider

Which rookie are you most excited to see take part in FP1?

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Who are the rookies taking part in Abu Dhabi FP1?

Nine rookies are participating in FP1 for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Aston Martin opting to run rookie drivers in both of their cars this weekend.

Both Mercedes and Sauber will not run a rookie around the Yas Marina Circuit, after having already completed their mandated quota this season.

Arvid Lindblad is the most notable rookie on the list for the Abu Dhabi FP1 drivers, after being announced as a Racing Bulls driver in 2026. The 18-year-old will replace the outgoing Japanese driver for FP1 at Abu Dhabi

Lindblad will be promoted up from Formula 2 after just one season, with Racing Bulls choosing to sign him for the upcoming season. The British-Swedish teenager will replace Isack Hadjar, who will be moving to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull next year.

Lindblad has already participated in two rookie sessions for the team this year, including making his F1 debut at his home race in Silverstone back in July. He also replaced Verstappen at the Mexico Grand Prix practice session, beating the team’s other driver, Yuki Tsunoda, by a tenth of a second.

Oscar Piastri is the only driver in contention for the championship to be handing over his car to a rookie in Abu Dhabi. Pato O’Ward, this season’s IndyCar runner-up, will climb into the Aussie’s McLaren for his second outing with the team in 2025.

O’Ward participated in this year’s Mexican Grand Prix in front of his home crowds for the second year running. The IndyCar driver placed 13th around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, making him the second fastest rookie of the session, behind Lindblad.

The newly crowned Super Formula champion, Ayumu Iwasa, will take part in his second practice session for Racing Bulls in Abu Dhabi, after also making an appearance in Mexico. Iwasa will once again replace Liam Lawson, with the team fulfilling half their quota with Isack Hadjar.

For the second consecutive year, Arthur Leclerc will join his brother Charles around the Yas Marina Circuit, with the Ferrari development driver replacing Lewis Hamilton. The 25-year-old has been racing in the GT World Challenge Europe with AF Corse, alongside his responsibilities with the Maranello team.

Aston Martin are running two rookie drivers for the first practice session, with the team’s third driver, Jak Crawford, making his second appearance in 2025. Joining the F2 driver, the team are running a fifth rookie appearance of the year, running Cian Shields in Fernando Alonso’s car.

Shields also competes in the feeder series alongside Crawford, but is one of two drivers at the bottom of the table with zero points.

Also making an appearance from the Formula 2 grid is Williams junior Luke Browning, who will make his third appearance for the team in 2025. Browning, who was in contention for the F2 title until last weekend’s race in Qatar, will replace Alex Albon for the final rookie practice.

Paul Aron will make his fifth FP1 appearance in 2025, after being loaned to Sauber from Alpine earlier in the year. The Alpine reserve driver will replace Pierre Gasly for a second time this year after missing out on the second seat at the team when they re-signed Franco Colapinto.

Ryo Hirakawa will also make his fifth appearance in a rookie session this year, after moving to Haas from Alpine in April. Hirakawa made a home race debut with the French team at the start of the season in Japan, before making four more appearances with the American outfit later in the season.