FP1 DRIVER SWAPS CONFIRMED FOR THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
Formula 1 teams will once again hand valuable track time to young drivers during Free Practice 1 at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Under current regulations, every Formula 1 team must run rookie drivers in four practice sessions throughout the year, twice per car.
The Red Bull Ring will host one of the biggest rookie appearances of the season after Barcelona, with six drivers stepping into Formula 1 cars for the opening practice session on Friday morning.
British driver Luke Browning will drive for Williams, replacing Carlos Sainz for FP1. Browning has been one of the standout performers in Formula 2 and remains one of the leading members of the Williams Driver Academy, currently racing in Superformula.
Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron will take over Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi for the session. The Estonian driver has been reserve for the Alpine team for the past two seasons after finishing third in his only F2 season with Hitech, back in 2024.
Jak Crawford will step into Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin for FP1. The American driver has enjoyed several impressive seasons in Formula 2 and has become one of the drivers to watch outside Formula 1. Crawford has already participated in multiple test sessions with Aston Martin and continues to build a strong case for a future opportunity on the grid, especially as Formula 1’s popularity continues to grow in the United States.
Toyota-backed Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa will replace Esteban Ocon at Haas for the session. Hirakawa brings a huge amount of experience despite technically qualifying as a rookie under Formula 1 regulations. The Japanese star is a multiple winner in endurance racing and has competed at the highest level in the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Another Japanese driver will also be in action at the Red Bull Ring. Ayumu Iwasa will replace Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls for FP1 as part of Red Bull’s long-standing junior driver program. Iwasa has been one of the leading Japanese talents in single-seater racing over recent years. Ayumu won the SuperFormula championship with 2 wins last year.
Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic will receive one of the biggest opportunities of his career when he replaces Charles Leclerc during the opening session. He currently sits 6th in his second FIA Formula 2 season with DAMS, with 2 podiums.
The Austrian Grand Prix has often become a favorite venue for rookie appearances due to the characteristics of the Red Bull Ring. The circuit is one of the shortest tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, allowing young drivers to complete a large number of laps in a relatively short session. The track’s simple layout also helps rookies learn quickly while giving engineers plenty of useful data for comparison against their regular race drivers.
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