Lewis Hamilton to Be Paired with New Team-Mate at Bahrain Grand Prix Due to….read more
In a surprising twist for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will be paired with a new team-mate for the event. Rather than driving alongside his usual Ferrari partner Charles Leclerc, Hamilton will be sharing the track during the Free Practice One session with 21-year-old Swedish rising star Dino Beganovic. This change is part of a broader shift happening across the Formula 1 paddock, as six teams prepare to introduce rookie drivers for the first practice session of the race weekend.
The change is not unique to Ferrari. It is tied to a seldom-discussed Formula 1 regulation which requires every team to run a rookie driver—defined as someone who has started in fewer than two F1 Grands Prix—at least twice in each car during official practice sessions throughout the season. The rule is designed to offer valuable experience to emerging talent and provide teams with a chance to evaluate promising drivers in a real-world setting.
Beganovic, a Ferrari Academy driver and a competitor in Formula 2, will take the wheel of Leclerc’s car during the Friday practice. The opportunity marks a significant moment in the young Swede’s career and gives Ferrari a chance to test his capabilities on the big stage alongside a seasoned veteran like Hamilton, who is joining the team next season.
Red Bull is another top team following suit. They’ve announced that Max Verstappen, fresh off his recent victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, will sit out the first practice in Bahrain. In his place, Japanese Formula 2 standout Ayumu Iwasa will take over. This will be a special moment for Iwasa, especially given the growing presence of Japanese talent in Formula 1.
Interestingly, this move will give Yuki Tsunoda his third different team-mate of the season, albeit only temporarily for the session. Tsunoda, who recently switched seats with Liam Lawson to join Red Bull, has already experienced a whirlwind of changes and is adapting quickly to the team’s evolving dynamic.
Other teams embracing the rookie rule in Bahrain include Mercedes, Aston Martin, Haas, and Williams. At Mercedes, George Russell will step aside to allow Danish driver Frederik Vesti to take part in the session. Vesti, another F2 frontrunner, has been gaining attention as a possible future F1 talent and will be eager to make an impression.
At Aston Martin, veteran driver Fernando Alonso will hand over his seat to Felipe Drugovich. Drugovich, who won the Formula 2 championship in 2022, is already familiar with the team and has been integrated as a reserve driver. His appearance in Free Practice One is another step in his potential rise to a full-time F1 seat.
In a similar move, Haas’ Ollie Bearman, himself a rookie this season, will give his car to Ryo Hirakawa. Hirakawa, a Japanese driver with a successful background in Super Formula and endurance racing, is looking to demonstrate his adaptability in an F1 environment.
Finally, Williams will replace Carlos Sainz for the session with British driver Luke Browning. Browning, another young talent, will relish the opportunity to showcase his skills in front of F1 team principals and engineers.
These temporary seat swaps highlight the emphasis Formula 1 is placing on developing new talent and ensuring a future pipeline of competitive drivers. While fans may be surprised to see familiar faces step aside, the move is part of a broader effort to nurture and evaluate the next generation of F1 stars. As Bahrain hosts the latest round of the championship, all eyes will be on these rookies to see how they perform under the bright lights of the For
mula 1 world stage.
