Antonelli Among Five Drivers Sitting Out Hungarian GP First Practice

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will hand his Mercedes over to reserve driver Frederik Vesti for first practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, one of five teams fielding a rookie in Friday's opening session. With the Hungaroring layout familiar to the paddock and no Sprint race to compress the schedule, squads are using the opportunity to fulfill Formula 1's requirement that each car must be driven by a junior in at least two FP1 outings per season.

Why it matters:

Antonelli has now satisfied his mandatory rookie sessions after also sitting out in Barcelona, but teammate George Russell still faces two compulsory absences after the summer break. Beyond ticking regulatory boxes, these swaps give highly touted prospects valuable Grand Prix weekend mileage that could influence the 2027 driver market.

The details:

• Mercedes: Vesti, the 2023 Formula 2 runner-up, steps into Antonelli's car for the second time this season, meaning the championship leader will not miss another practice session in 2026.
• McLaren: Reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli takes over Oscar Piastri's machine for his second Friday outing. The Italian recently completed a Testing of Previous Cars program with Haas and is widely considered a leading candidate to replace Esteban Ocon there in 2027.
• Haas: Ryo Hirakawa replaces Oliver Bearman for his second appearance of the year.
• Alpine: Paul Aron drives Franco Colapinto's car for his third rookie session, having previously fulfilled the role with Audi in Barcelona and Austria.
• Cadillac: IndyCar star Colton Herta gets additional track time in Valtteri Bottas' car as he continues to adapt to Grand Prix machinery.

Between the lines:

Teams are strategically selecting conventional race weekends to minimize disruption to their programs. Fornaroli's presence in both McLaren and Haas machinery marks him as the grid's most closely watched prospect, while Russell's looming post-break absences could prove costly in a tight title fight where every practice session counts toward development and setup.