Ferrari will field Dino Beganovic in place of Charles Leclerc during the opening free practice session of the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos. The Swedish Ferrari Driver Academy youngster will drive the SF-26 after the team’s original plan to give Rafael Câmara his Formula 1 practice debut on home soil was changed following the Brazilian’s involvement in recent developments at Haas.
The decision means Ferrari will retain its planned rookie appearance at the Brazilian Grand Prix, although a different driver will take part. Dino Beganovic has already driven for the Scuderia during the 2026 season, contributing to the team’s development programme and gathering data during weekends when new components and upgrades were being evaluated.
Why Ferrari replaced Rafael Câmara with Dino Beganovic for Brazil FP1
At the Mexico City Grand Prix, ten of the eleven Formula 1 teams gave a rookie driver an opportunity to participate in FP1, helping them fulfil their regulatory obligations. Ferrari was the only team not to do so, but the decision was part of a carefully planned programme rather than an unexpected change of approach.
The Maranello team had originally intended to give Rafael Câmara the opportunity to make his Formula 1 debut behind the wheel of a Ferrari at his home Grand Prix in Brazil. The occasion would have allowed the Brazilian Ferrari Driver Academy youngster to experience an official Formula 1 weekend with the Scuderia in front of his home crowd.
However, developments at Haas have changed those arrangements. Esteban Ocon was benched following events at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Ryo Hirakawa initially taking his place. Rafael Câmara subsequently became involved in the American team’s driver changes, opening the way for his participation with Haas instead.
As a result, Ferrari’s original plan to run a rookie at Interlagos remains intact, but Rafael Câmara will no longer be the driver taking part in the Scuderia’s opening practice session.
Dino Beganovic to drive Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-26 at Interlagos
Dino Beganovic will therefore return to the Ferrari cockpit for the first practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix, replacing Charles Leclerc in the SF-26. The Swedish driver is already familiar with the team’s procedures, having participated in previous practice sessions during the season.
Those appearances have frequently coincided with weekends when Ferrari needed to evaluate developments, collect technical information and compare data gathered on track with its expectations. His familiarity with this work makes him a useful choice for another official practice outing.
The Swedish youngster has previously replaced Charles Leclerc during FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, while his participation in other sessions has also contributed to the team’s evaluation of the SF-26.
His latest outing will give him further experience of Ferrari’s Formula 1 machinery while allowing the Scuderia to continue its established programme of collecting technical data during race weekends.
Ferrari continues rookie development and data collection programme
By selecting Dino Beganovic for the São Paulo Grand Prix, Ferrari will complete another rookie practice appearance while once again using a young driver who has already contributed to its development and correlation work.
The session represents an opportunity to combine the team’s regulatory commitments with its ongoing technical programme. Beganovic’s previous experience with the SF-26 should also provide useful continuity as Ferrari continues gathering information from its 2026 car.
The appearance will take place during the opening session of the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix weekend at Interlagos, with Charles Leclerc handing over his car for FP1 before returning to his regular driving duties.
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