The upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix will see a significant influx of young talent on the track, with nine rookie drivers getting behind the wheel for FP1. Teams are required by FIA regulations to allocate four First Free Practice sessions per season to drivers who have started no more than two Grands Prix. Since Mexico is one of the final events of the year – and with both Qatar and Brazil featuring Sprint weekends – many teams have opted to give their young drivers a chance here.

McLaren will field Pato O’Ward, the Mexican IndyCar star and fan favourite, who will take over Lando Norris’s car for the session. Mercedes will give Frederik Vesti another opportunity in F1 machinery as he replaces George Russell. At Ferrari, Antonio Fuoco, a Le Mans winner, will step in for Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull’s rising star Arvid Lindblad is set to drive in place of Max Verstappen, while Luke Browning will drive for Williams, taking over Carlos Sainz’s seat. The Racing Bulls will hand the car to Ayumu Iwasa, replacing Liam Lawson, giving the Japanese driver valuable mileage as part of Red Bull’s junior program.

At Aston Martin, American youngster Jak Crawford will replace Lance Stroll, while Ryo Hirakawa will drive for Haas instead of Oliver Bearman. Finally, Paul Aron will get his chance with Alpine, standing in for Pierre Gasly.

The sheer number of rookies participating makes this one of the most youth-filled first free practice sessions of the year. It’s a unique opportunity for these drivers to experience the demands of a Formula 1 weekend firsthand, while teams gather valuable data and fulfil their development obligations before the season draws to a close.

With local hero Pato O’Ward among the participants, Mexican fans will have even more reason to cheer as Friday’s practice gets underway at the high-altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.