- Mercedes – Nyck de Vries, Frederick Vesti
- Red Bull – Juri Vips
- Ferrari – Robert Shwartzman
- McLaren – Colton Herta, Nyck de Vries, Oscar Piastri
- Alpine – Oscar Piastri
- AlphaTauri – Liam Lawson
- Aston Martin – Nick Yelloly
- Alfa Romeo – Theo Pourchaire
- Williams – Nyck de Vries
- Haas – Pietro Fittipaldi, Robert Shwartzman
This weekend, Nyck de Vries becomes the first non-full-time rookie driver to receive a mandatory free practice outing with Williams in Spain.
In 2022, the regulations state that teams must run have two FP1 outings for rookies, giving the drivers more time inside the cockpit amid a decrease in the number of testing days during the year.
Teams have been reluctant to field the rookies early in the year as they continue to gather data on the new-for-2022 F1 cars.
But in Barcelona, de Vries, who is a Formula 2 and Formula E champion, will step inside the cockpit, replacing Alexander Albon for the opening session of the weekend.
With a number of other outings set to take place down the grid across the coming months, who else could receive a drive in the one hour practice session?
Mercedes – Nyck de Vries, Frederick Vesti
It’s likely that de Vries will be in an F1 car multiple times this year, as he is a reserve driver for the Mercedes team, alongside 42-time F1 grand prix starter Stoffel Vandoorne.
Mercedes also has an option to place Frederick Vesti in the car. Vesti, who currently competes in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, has been part of the Mercedes junior programme since 2021.
Red Bull – Juri Vips
Vips has tested with Red Bull on multiple occasions, having been part of its junior academy for several years. Earlier this season, AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost confirmed that Vips would drive for Red Bull in the practice sessions this year.
Ferrari – Robert Shwartzman
Robert Shwartzman departed the F2 Championship at the end of 2021, but remains a part of the Ferrari family. Now competing under an Israeli licence following the sanctions imposed on Russia, the 22-year-old is the most likely option for the Maranello-based squad.
McLaren – Colton Herta, Nyck de Vries, Oscar Piastri
McLaren has several options available to it this year, the most intriguing of which is Colton Herta. The IndyCar star is set to test with McLaren at some point this year, after spending the Miami Grand Prix weekend embedded into the team. Whether or not he gets to take part in an official F1 session remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, McLaren could look at de Vries, who is also listed as a reserve for the team. Oscar Piastri is also available, after McLaren and Alpine struck an agreement to use Piastri during a race weekend if one of its full-time drivers is unavailable.
Alpine – Oscar Piastri
Should he not get outings with McLaren, Piastri is almost guaranteed to make an appearance for Alpine. The reigning F2 Champion is watching the sport from the sidelines this year, but is taking part in an extensive testing programme with Alpine, having joined as a junior driver in 2020.
AlphaTauri – Liam Lawson
AlphaTauri boss Tost has confirmed that Lawson will drive the FP1 sessions for the team this year. The New Zealand driver is racing in F2 this season, taking a race win in Jeddah earlier in the campaign.
Aston Martin – Nick Yelloly
There is no clear option for Aston Martin, however test driver Nick Yelloly has been associated with the Silverstone-based squad for several years. He tested for the team at the post-season session in Abu Dhabi last year, and currently races in the IMSA Sportscar Championship.
Alfa Romeo – Theo Pourchaire
Alfa Romeo Team Principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed last year that Pourchaire would receive FP1 outings with the squad in 2022. Currently leading the F2 standings, Pourchaire has been tipped for a future drive in F1 as soon as the 2023 campaign.
Williams – Nyck de Vries
De Vries will take part in the FP1 session with Williams this weekend.
Haas – Pietro Fittipaldi, Robert Shwartzman
Pietro Fittipaldi is still eligible to drive in the free practice sessions, despite competing in two races for Haas at the end of the 2020 season. Regulations state that a rookie is a driver who “may not have participated in more than two F1 World Championship Races during their career”.
The Brazilian is still the team’s reserve driver, however due to Haas’ close association with Ferrari, Shwartzman could make an appearance for the team this year.
Keyword: Which F1 rookies could make mandatory FP1 appearances this season?