Esteban Ocon and Alexander Albon will not be taking part in FP1 of the Spanish GP. Their respective teams, Haas and Williams, have confirmed that the two will give up their seats to reserve drivers for this single session.
Nothing unusual: the regulations stipulate that each Formula 1 team must run a rookie in four free practice sessions during the season. So who’s up this time?
Haas has confirmed that Ryō Hirakawa will take the wheel of the VF-25 in Esteban Ocon’s place during the first free practice session in Barcelona.
“I really appreciate this second opportunity to take part in FP1. A big thank you to the team,” said Hirakawa in a press statement. “Barcelona has some high-speed corners and long straights, so it will be another challenging FP1; I’m much better prepared compared to my first one in Bahrain. I’ve worked with the engineering team to get ready. Obviously, it’s just a one-hour session, but I’ll do my best to gather useful data for the team and ensure they have a better weekend. Let’s focus on getting the most out of that hour—I’m looking forward to it.”
At Williams, Victor Martins will take Alex Albon’s place behind the wheel of the FW47. This opportunity marks the debut of the young Academy driver in a Formula 1 weekend. Martins is currently second in the Formula 2 championship.
“I’m thrilled to drive the FW47 for the first time in Barcelona!” said Martins in a press statement. “It will be an incredible experience to race for the team. I’m working hard to prepare as much as possible, to make the most of the time in the car and ensure this session is valuable for both myself and the team. I’m immensely grateful to everyone at Atlassian Williams Racing for giving me this opportunity, and I can’t wait to enjoy every second of it!”
Leave a Reply