Scuderia AlphaTauri has slated Isack Hadjar to drive in the Free Practice 1 for the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix, stepping in for Yuki Tsunoda. This marks Hadjar’s debut in F1 machinery during a race weekend, aligning with the team’s obligation to feature a ‘rookie’ driver in certain sessions throughout the season.
The 19-year-old French driver, currently navigating his first Formula 2 season, will embrace this significant opportunity, reflecting AlphaTauri’s strategy to utilize its reservoir of youthful talents from the Red Bull junior ranks.
Hadjar’s participation is in line with the regulations that necessitate teams to introduce drivers with less than three Grand Prix participations in such sessions, paving the way for emerging talents like Hadjar to gain invaluable F1 experience.
Other teams, including Alpine, are also set to incorporate rookie drivers in their line-up, reflecting a broader trend of teams leveraging practice sessions to cultivate and assess emerging talents in a real-world Grand Prix environment.
