Ferrari parks Hamilton for Mexico FP1 as Fuoco gets long-awaited F1 debut
Ferrari will hand Lewis Hamilton’s SF-25 to Antonio Fuoco for first practice in Mexico City, with the Italian making his first official appearance on a Grand Prix weekend more than a decade after his maiden F1 test with the Scuderia.
The team confirmed Fuoco will take the wheel in FP1 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez as part of F1’s rookie requirement, which obliges teams to run a driver with no more than two race starts in at least two FP1 sessions per car each season. With Charles Leclerc already sitting out two Friday runs earlier this year — covered by Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic in Bahrain and Austria — it’s Hamilton’s turn to step aside.
Ferrari had initially kept quiet over which driver would give up the session, but the decision always pointed one way. Brazil and Qatar are sprint weekends, so track time is at a premium, and Las Vegas isn’t exactly the playground you throw a rookie into. That leaves Mexico now, and likely Abu Dhabi later, to tick the final box.
For Fuoco, this is more than a box-tick. The 28-year-old has been a pillar of Ferrari’s modern programme: driver academy graduate, long-time simulator and development hand, and a key piece of the marque’s return to the top in endurance racing, including victory at the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours in the 499P. He also knows Leclerc well from their 2017 Formula 2 season.
“My debut in an official weekend makes me truly proud,” Fuoco said, calling the chance to work in Hamilton’s garage and reunite with Leclerc “really special.” He added that his priority is to provide a clean, useful reference for simulator correlation and gather data that’ll feed straight back to Maranello: out-laps, tire prep windows, ride and aero sensitivities — the usual Friday bread-and-butter Ferrari leans on him for behind closed doors.
The choice of Mexico makes sense for Ferrari beyond the calendar jigsaw. It’s a circuit where teams fight for consistency as the cars run in thin air, and correlation is king. FP1 is rarely headline fodder, but it can be gold dust if you know what you’re looking for, and Fuoco’s feedback loop with the simulator group is one the team trusts.
Hamilton, meanwhile, won’t lose sleep over 60 minutes. The seven-time World Champion will still have ample time to dial in across the weekend — and Ferrari will want him fresh for qualifying work and the race picture. It’s a small trade for a rule every team has to navigate, and a neat nod to the system actually doing what it’s supposed to do: giving an experienced, deserving test and WEC driver a proper F1 run, not just a filming day.
The plan also preserves Ferrari’s options later. With sprint formats squeezing Fridays at Interlagos and Lusail, and Vegas demanding caution, Abu Dhabi looks the most likely venue for Hamilton to cede one more FP1 to complete Ferrari’s rookie allotment.
Fuoco knows the significance. “Looking back at my journey, these years with Ferrari have been unique,” he said. “From the Academy to GT racing, the simulator and the 499P project. Le Mans will probably remain the highlight of my career, but taking part officially in a Formula 1 weekend with Scuderia Ferrari HP is an incredible feeling.”
He won’t be scoreboard-watching — that’s not the point of an FP1 like this — but don’t be surprised if the lap count is high and the run plan looks busy. Ferrari’s priority will be tidy execution and actionable data. For Fuoco, it’s finally the red car, on a Friday that counts. For Hamilton, it’s a short pause before the weekend’s real business. And for Ferrari, it’s the rookie rule done their way.
