All but one of the eleven Formula 1 teams will field a rookie driver exclusively for the first practice session in Mexico, creating a roster with high stakes for the sport's driver market. Ferrari is the only team retaining its full-time lineup, while ten others have announced swaps that include three F1 weekend debuts for Gabriele Mini, Nikola Tsolov, and Freddie Slater.
The confirmed changes see Leonardo Fornaroli replacing Lando Norris at McLaren, Ayumu Iwasa taking Max Verstappen's seat at Red Bull, and Frederik Vesti stepping in for George Russell at Mercedes. Alpine will run Gabriele Mini instead of Franco Colapinto, while Williams substitutes Luke Browning for Alex Albon. Racing Bulls brings in Nikola Tsolov to replace Liam Lawson, Haas fields Ryo Hirakawa over Esteban Ocon, and Audi introduces Freddie Slater in place of Gabriel Bortoleto. Additionally, Jak Crawford will drive for Aston Martin instead of Lance Stroll, and Colton Herta will take the wheel for Cadillac ahead of Valtteri Bottas.
For Cadillac, this session is critical as the team believes Colton Herta is just one point away from securing the 40 points required for an F1 superlicense. This milestone depends on him successfully completing the mandated 100 kilometers of running in Mexico's challenging conditions, though reliability issues with the new car pose a risk. Regardless of the distance covered, Cadillac intends to ensure Herta reaches the threshold elsewhere, as the team has already satisfied the rookie driver rule. The primary goal is to position Herta as an official option to replace Bottas for the 2027 season.
Sergio Perez noted that while FP1 sessions are difficult for demonstrating speed, Herta is showing more potential with increased simulator and car time. The final decision on the 2027 seat rests with team boss Marcin Budkowski, who must weigh Herta's performance against Bottas's strong pace in Austin and other contenders like Yuki Tsunoda and Frederik Vesti. Perez emphasized that the next few months are crucial for preparation, making the right driver selection vital.
Nikola Tsolov is making his F1 weekend debut with Racing Bulls after testing at Imola in late August. Although there were rumors of him securing a full-time 2027 seat following four wins in four weekends in Formula 2, moving aside current drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad appears unlikely given their strong performances. Lawson has won the midfield fight for three consecutive weekends, while Lindblad has had a solid rookie year. However, Tsolov's performance in Mexico remains important, as past examples like Isack Hadjar show that a strong FP1 impression can lead to an F1 seat within 14 months.
Freddie Slater, Audi's first F1 junior, is set for back-to-back FP1 outings in Mexico and Brazil. The 18-year-old narrowly missed the Formula 3 title due to mechanical failures but finished on the podium in eight consecutive weekends, building on a history of winning three consecutive titles in karting and junior formulas. While Slater faces less immediate pressure than Herta or Tsolov as he is not a contender for a 2027 seat, his debut marks a significant coup for Audi's fledgling driver development program. He will race in Formula 2 next year with Invicta but is expected to feature frequently in F1 cars over the coming seasons.
Sources: The Race.