Oscar Piastri faces a setback in his bid for the Formula 1 championship this weekend as he, along with eight other drivers, will miss the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to a regulation introduced in 2025.
The title decider at the Yas Marina Circuit will feature Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen contending for the top honors of the season. While a podium finish for Norris could secure him the championship, any errors could provide opportunities for his rivals.
With the championship on the line in Abu Dhabi, drivers must maximize their practice time. However, almost half of the grid will be absent from the initial hour of running due to the rule mandating teams to give rookie drivers a chance.
Throughout the season, each team must include a rookie driver in two free practice sessions per car, totaling four sessions per team. As several teams still need to meet their rookie session requirements, there will be several new faces in FP1 this weekend.
Piastri will be substituted by Pato O’Ward in his McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton will also be skipping the session with Arthur Leclerc taking his place at Ferrari.
Several other driver replacements are set for FP1, including Arvid Lindblad, Ayumu Iwasa, and Ryo Hirakawa stepping in for various regular drivers. Alpine will field Paul Aron in FP1, while Mercedes and Sauber have already fulfilled their rookie practice session obligations.
Abu Dhabi is a strategic setting for rookie sessions as it marks the final weekend of the season. These sessions are essential for young driver development, often leading to full-time opportunities. The likes of Antonelli and Oliver Bearman secured seats for 2025 after showcasing their skills in practice sessions last year.