Official: Who will drive Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari SF-25 in Abu Dhabi FP1. Ferrari confirms the driver for FP1 in Abu Dhabi as Lewis Hamilton sits out..

Ferrari has made its choice for Abu Dhabi FP1: here’s who will take the wheel of the SF-25 in place of Lewis Hamilton. The final race of the season brings with it a fixed tradition. Abu Dhabi FP1 always features the classic session dedicated to rookies, a mandatory rule for all teams. Each team is required to put at least one young driver on track during one of the free practice sessions of the championship. For Ferrari, this means that Lewis Hamilton will not participate in FP1, with a rookie taking over for him.

Ferrari’s choice: Arthur Leclerc returns to the SF-25

Ferrari’s decision fell on one of the names already part of Maranello’s sporting program: Arthur Leclerc will once again climb into the SF-25. It is Lewis Hamilton who will give up the seat, not Charles Leclerc, because the Monegasque driver has already stepped aside twice this season, whereas the Englishman has only done so once.

The driver for Abu Dhabi FP1

The choice once again favors the younger Leclerc, who will be on track just as he was last year in Abu Dhabi. During last season’s FP1 in Abu Dhabi, F1 fans also saw the two Leclerc brothers on track together.

The rookie session in Abu Dhabi always offers a significant opportunity. It allows a young driver or test driver to accumulate real kilometers in a Formula 1 car. This is far from a simple formality. Teams use these 60 minutes to gather data, check components, and evaluate the driver’s technical sensitivity.

Hamilton sits out due to regulations

The presence of a rookie automatically means that one of the main drivers will sit out. Ferrari has chosen to exclude Lewis Hamilton from FP1. This is a natural decision. Hamilton has already completed more sessions than Charles Leclerc in recent races, and the team prefers to maintain balance. The seven-time world champion will return to the track regularly for FP2 and the rest of the weekend.

FP1 also a testbed for 2026 development

Abu Dhabi FP1 also represents the last chance to test elements useful for the 2026 project. Ferrari has already shifted most of its resources to the new car. The rookie session could therefore include data collection for aerodynamic simulations and correlation tests with the wind tunnel.