Five Formula 1 teams changed their regular lineups for first practice in Hungary. Each replacement met the championship’s rookie definition.
Fred Vesti was the fastest reserve driver and finished seventh in the session.
McLaren gave Fornaroli another session
Leonardo Fornaroli drove Oscar Piastri’s McLaren during the opening hour. He previously replaced Lando Norris in Barcelona.
The Italian joined McLaren’s development programme after winning the 2025 Formula 2 championship. He also serves as a reserve driver.
Fornaroli has tested older Formula 1 machinery with McLaren and Haas. Those runs gave him experience beyond simulator work.
Budapest provided his second official practice appearance at a Grand Prix weekend. The session used the current McLaren race car.
Piastri returned for second practice later on Friday. McLaren shared Friday’s track time between two drivers.
Fornaroli compared his Barcelona experience with a different circuit. The Hungaroring has fewer long straights and more connected corners.
Vesti replaced the championship leader
Fred Vesti took Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes for the first practice session. George Russell remained in the second car.
Vesti became Mercedes’ sole reserve driver for the 2026 season. He has spent more than five years within the team’s programme.
The Danish driver has completed several Formula 1 practice appearances. He also drove in Barcelona this season.
His current racing programme includes the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Endurance competition keeps him active outside Formula 1 weekends.
Vesti finished seventh and became the only reserve driver inside the top ten.
Antonelli returned to the car during the afternoon session. The change affected only Friday’s opening practice.
Aron returns to an Alpine cockpit
Paul Aron replaced Franco Colapinto in the Alpine. Pierre Gasly kept his usual place in the other car.
Aron is Alpine’s reserve driver but raced practice sessions for Audi earlier this year. Those appearances came through a loan arrangement.
The Estonian first drove a Formula 1 weekend session at Silverstone in 2025. He later completed more practice outings during that season.
Aron finished third in the 2024 Formula 2 championship. He then moved his main attention toward Alpine reserve duties.
Hungary became his first 2026 practice appearance for Alpine itself. The team compared his feedback with its regular drivers.
Colapinto returned for second practice after missing the opening hour. Alpine restored its normal lineup for the later session.
Hirakawa brings endurance experience to Haas
Ryo Hirakawa drove Oliver Bearman’s Haas during first practice. Esteban Ocon remained in the team’s second car.
Hirakawa is both a test and reserve driver for Haas. He previously drove the current car during Austrian practice.
| Session | Hungarian Grand Prix Practice 1 |
|---|---|
| Teams changing drivers | Five |
| McLaren reserve | Leonardo Fornaroli |
| Cadillac test driver | Colton Herta |
The Japanese racer also competes for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship. His career includes extensive work with hybrid prototypes.
Hungary gave him a second Formula 1 practice session this season. Haas used his technical feedback during setup work.
Bearman returned to the cockpit for the second Friday session. His engineers continued with the car prepared during FP1.
Hirakawa’s age does not affect his rookie eligibility. The rule considers Grand Prix starts rather than a driver’s birth year.
Herta continues his Cadillac programme
Colton Herta replaced Valtteri Bottas in the Cadillac for first practice. Sergio Perez kept the second race seat.
Herta made his first Grand Prix practice appearance with Cadillac in Barcelona. He used Perez’s car during that earlier session.
The American moved from IndyCar into Formula 2 for 2026. He also works as a Cadillac test driver.
Hungary became the next part of his Formula 1 development schedule. Two further practice sessions remain planned.
Herta drove Bottas’s MAC-26 around the Hungaroring. Bottas resumed work during the afternoon.
The programme gave Cadillac experience with another driver. It also fulfilled one required rookie practice appearance.
The regulation creates planned opportunities
Every full-time Formula 1 driver gives two practice sessions to a rookie. The requirement expanded from the earlier annual total.
A rookie may have started no more than two Grands Prix. Previous practice sessions do not remove that status.
Teams often choose Friday sessions during weekends with three practice periods. Sprint weekends offer much less preparation time.
Hungary follows the normal three-practice format. Regular drivers still receive FP2 and FP3 before qualifying.
Each regular driver returned after missing only the opening session.
McLaren, Mercedes, Alpine, Haas and Cadillac all used the rookie opportunity.
The session gives teams direct data
Every rookie follows a programme prepared around the regular driver’s car.
Engineers compare simulator work with tyre behaviour and braking data from the circuit.
The regular drivers return for second practice with the collected information available.
The rule creates four rookie practice appearances for every two-car team.
A team may use one eligible driver several times or divide the sessions.
Only Grand Prix starts determine whether a driver keeps rookie status.
Charles Leclerc led the opening session for Ferrari.
Vesti placed seventh, while the other reserve drivers finished outside the top ten.
All five regular drivers returned for second practice later on Friday.
Hamilton later led the second session after the regular drivers returned.
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