Six rookie drivers will take part in the opening practice session of the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on Friday, as Formula 1 teams continue to fulfil the FIA's mandatory rookie driver regulations.
Under current FIA rules, every team must field a driver who has started no more than two Grands Prix in two FP1 sessions per car during the season, resulting in four rookie appearances per team across the championship.
Dino Beganovic will replace Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, while Luke Browning takes over Carlos Sainz's Williams. Aston Martin has handed its FP1 outing to Jak Crawford in place of Lance Stroll, while Ayumu Iwasa will drive Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls.
Ryo Hirakawa will take Esteban Ocon's seat at Haas, with Paul Aron driving for Audi in place of Gabriel Bortoleto as part of both teams' young driver development programmes.
All six rookies will use the official practice session to gain valuable Formula 1 experience while contributing to their teams' data collection. With several races still remaining in the 2026 season, more rookie FP1 appearances are expected as teams complete their FIA allocation.
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