F1 Abu Dhabi GP sees 9 drivers replaced including title contender because of strict rule

Oscar Piastri will be hampered in his attempt to become Formula 1 champion this weekend with the Aussie among a swathe of drivers forced to miss first practice. A total of nine racers will be sidelined from FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to a rule implemented at the start of 2025.

This weekend's race at the Yas Marina Circuit is set to decide the title, with Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen vying for the season's top honours.

A podium finish for Norris would secure him the championship, but any mistakes could open the door for his competitors.

Given the high stakes in Abu Dhabi, it is vital that drivers make the most of their practice sessions. However, nearly half the grid will miss out on the first hour of running because of a rule mandating teams to provide opportunities for rookie drivers.

Over the course of the season, each team must field a rookie driver in two free practice sessions per car, totalling four sessions per team.

Several teams still need to fulfil their quota of rookie sessions, which means we'll see a number of fresh faces in FP1 this weekend.

Piastri is among those being replaced, with Pato O'Ward stepping in to drive his McLaren. Lewis Hamilton will also sit out the session after Ferrari announced that Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of team-mate Charles Leclerc, is to take his place.

Arvid Lindblad, set to drive for Racing Bulls next season, will take over Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull and Ayumu Iwasa will take the reins from Liam Lawson at sister team RB.

Meanwhile another Japanese driver, Ryo Hirakawa, is slated to replace Haas regular Esteban Ocon.

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Alex Albon will sit the session out with Williams academy member Luke Browning filling in. And Aston Martin will be giving two rookies a chance in FP1, with Cian Shields and Jak Crawford stepping into the shoes of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll respectively.

Alpine will field Paul Aron for his fifth FP1 outing of the season, taking over from Pierre Gasly. The Estonian completed two of those sessions with Sauber earlier this year, after the Switzerland-based squad struck a deal to borrow Aron.

Mercedes and Sauber have already fulfilled their required allocations of rookie practice sessions, so it will be business as usual for George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Abu Dhabi is a favoured location for rookie sessions, given that it's the final weekend of the season.

FP1 takes place in daytime conditions, which don't reflect those in qualifying and the race. Rookie sessions are crucial for the development of young drivers, with many progressing to a full-time seat. Drivers like Antonelli and Oliver Bearman were snapped up for 2025 after participating in practice sessions last season.