Five drivers will miss the opening practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday as teams utilize the opportunity to satisfy seasonal rookie participation obligations. Each Formula 1 team must run a rookie in at least two practice sessions across both vehicles during the season, and the Hungaroring’s familiarity combined with the absence of a Sprint format has prompted multiple teams to fulfill this requirement during the Budapest event.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who currently holds a 45-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton and a 50-point lead over George Russell, will be replaced by Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti in the first practice session. Vesti previously drove Antonelli’s vehicle during first practice at Barcelona earlier in the season, ensuring Antonelli will not be required to sit out additional sessions. However, George Russell has not yet completed his mandatory rookie handover and will miss two practice sessions across the 11 scheduled rounds following the summer break.
Oscar Piastri’s McLaren will be taken over by Leonardo Fornaroli, the reigning Formula 2 champion who will make his second Friday appearance of the season. Fornaroli, who claimed consecutive F3 and F2 titles in 2024 and 2025, previously drove Norris’ car in Barcelona and has been linked with speculation regarding a potential Haas seat for the following year. McLaren loaned the 21-year-old Italian to Haas for a testing session in June amid discussion of a possible full-time move in 2027 to replace Esteban Ocon.
Haas’ Oliver Bearman will miss first practice as Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa takes his second outing of the season. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto will hand his car to Paul Aron for the third time in 2026, with Aron having previously completed practice sessions at Barcelona and Austria while on loan to Audi. Additionally, former IndyCar competitor Colton Herta will take the wheel of Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac during the session.
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