Formula 1 News: 9 young guns will drive in opening practice for the Mexico City GP (Update)

Since we published this article, two additional young drivers will take part in FP1 in Mexico City. Paul Aron will sub for Pierre Gasly and Ayumu Iwasa will sub for Liam Lawson.

The Mexican GP weekend will see an unprecedented nine rookie drivers take to the track during first practice – with every Formula 1 team except Sauber fielding a newcomer.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport put it, “there will be a revolution on the track” as teams rush to satisfy the FIA regulation requiring each car to be driven by a rookie – defined as someone with no more than two grands prix starts – twice per season.

With only five rounds remaining, Mexico and Abu Dhabi represent the last suitable venues, since Brazil and Qatar are sprint weekends and Las Vegas leaves little time for experimentation.

For the first time in modern Formula 1, three Japanese drivers – Tsunoda, Hirakawa and Iwasa – will share the same circuit session.

Under F1’s 2025 rules mandating two rookie FP1 sessions per car, seven young guns, including American Jak Crawford (pictured) will hit the track Friday in Mexico City, shaking up the order and injecting fresh energy into setups at altitude.

Here’s the lineup, with the regulars they sideline in Practice 1 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez: