For the 2025 season, Formula 1 teams face stricter rules when it comes to giving young drivers a chance behind the wheel. Previously, teams were only required to run a rookie once per car during the season, but under the new regulations, that number has doubled.

Each race driver must now step aside twice in practice sessions to allow a young driver to take their place, meaning four rookie outings per team. In some cases, full-time drivers themselves can count towards the rule, if they’ve competed in fewer than two Grands Prix.

Ferrari has become the first team to confirm its rookie plan by announcing that Dino Beganovic will take part in the first free practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old Swede, who has Bosnian roots, has been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2022. He made his F2 debut at the end of last season, impressively finishing third in just his third race. He’s now racing full-time in Formula 2 with Hitech, and will balance his F1 practice duties in Bahrain with his usual F2 campaign.

Beganovic’s debut will see him drive Charles Leclerc’s SF-25 during the opening session of the weekend, alongside Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari garage. It won’t be his first time in an F1 car as he tested an older Ferrari in Barcelona earlier this year, sharing the track with both Leclerc and Hamilton.

With a regional Formula title under his belt, two F3 victories in 2024, and a solid F2 start already behind him, Beganovic is seen as one of Ferrari’s most promising young talents.