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Six Formula 1 teams will field rookie drivers during Friday’s opening practice session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with several familiar faces returning to the track just one week after their outings in Mexico City. Under the regulations, every full-time racer must make way for a rookie during two practice sessions across the season, giving newcomers one hour behind the wheel before handing cars back for FP2, while Rafael Camara prepares for his full F1 debut with Haas.
Leonardo Fornaroli and Dino Beganovic
Leonardo Fornaroli will return to the wheel of McLaren’s MCL40 for the second consecutive weekend after making his third FP1 appearance of the season in Mexico City. The reigning F2 champion joined McLaren’s Driver Development Programme and completed a recent Testing of Previous Cars outing at Circuit Paul Ricard before finishing P17 in Mexico City. After replacing Lando Norris previously, the 21-year-old will now step into Oscar Piastri’s car at Interlagos to complete McLaren’s mandatory rookie allocation.
Ferrari opted not to field a newcomer in Mexico City, but Dino Beganovic will return to the SF-26 for another appearance with the Scuderia. A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2020, the 22-year-old Swede has completed two FP1 outings this year in Austria and Barcelona, finishing eighth in Barcelona and ninth in Austria. Competing in F2 with DAMS, he will replace Charles Leclerc as Ferrari gathers data during the opening practice session.
Luke Browning and Freddie Slater
Williams Reserve Driver Luke Browning is preparing for his fifth FP1 appearance of the season after outings in Barcelona, Austria, Italy, and Mexico City. The Briton, who also races in Japan’s Super Formula championship, received an additional practice opportunity following an electrical issue in Barcelona and completed 33 laps in Mexico City. The 24-year-old will replace Carlos Sainz at Interlagos for his final scheduled rookie outing of the campaign.
Freddie Slater returns to Audi’s R26 after a disrupted first F1 practice appearance in Mexico City, where his running was compromised by a cooling fan left attached to his car that resulted in a €7,500 team fine. The 18-year-old became the first member of Audi’s Driver Development Programme this year and finished runner-up in F3 before stepping up to F2 with Invicta Racing in 2027. He will replace Nico Hulkenberg in Brazil after driving Gabriel Bortoleto’s car last time out.
Gabriele Mini and Colton Herta
Gabriele Mini will make his second consecutive FP1 appearance for Alpine following his official F1 weekend debut in Mexico City. An Alpine Academy member since 2023, the Italian completed TPC running in July before stepping into Franco Colapinto’s A526 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where he finished P14. Fourth in the F2 standings with two victories, Mini will return to the cockpit at Interlagos to replace Pierre Gasly.
Colton Herta will make his sixth FP1 appearance of the season as he pursues Super Licence points required to compete in F1. The former IndyCar driver has balanced an F2 campaign with test driver duties for Cadillac, completing practice outings in Barcelona, Hungary, Italy, Austin, and Mexico City. Needing to complete at least 100 kilometres on Friday to secure his final Super Licence point, Herta will replace Sergio Perez in Sao Paulo.
Rafael Camara Makes Full Debut with Haas
While other rookies hand their cars back after FP1, Rafael Camara is preparing for his full Formula 1 debut in front of his home crowd. The 21-year-old Brazilian, who leads the F2 standings and holds titles in Formula Regional and F3, was originally due to join Haas as a full-time driver in 2027. His debut was brought forward after Esteban Ocon stopped competing for the team, with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa stepping in during Mexico City.
Hirakawa’s World Endurance Championship commitments opened the door for Camara, who impressed Haas during a TPC outing at Portimao in August. A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2021, Camara will partner Ollie Bearman for the entire weekend without any prior Interlagos racing experience or time in the 2026 challenger. Haas have yet to confirm who will occupy the seat for the remaining rounds of the season.
