Ferrari announce Lewis Hamilton replacement at Barcelona Grand Prix

Ferrari have confirmed that a young driver will take the place of seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton during FP1 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Academy driver Dino Beganovic will join six other young drivers in replacing a full-time star as teams up and down the grid announce driver swaps to fulfil the mandatory rookie driver rule.

Each team are required to field a rookie driver twice in each car - a total of four appearances across a season - and the current F2 driver will get a chance to test the brand new design of F1 cars in Barcelona.

Beganovic is currently sixth in the F2 driver standings, boasting a best result of second in the Miami Grand Prix feature race this year. In addition to racing full time in the championship, the Swede has undertaken test simulator duties for Ferrari and will be well versed in the challenges the 2026 car can throw up.

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Beganovic replaces Hamilton for FP1

Speaking ahead of the opportunity in Barcelona, Beganovic said: "My expectations for this weekend and for FP1 are a mix of technical focus and emotion.

"It’s always incredibly special to take part in an FP1 session and, more generally, to be back in a Ferrari Formula 1 car."

"Putting on the red race suit, getting back behind the wheel, and working closely with the engineers and mechanics is something unique, so I’m really looking forward to Barcelona. I have great memories from last year’s FP1 and I want to build on that experience and put everything together this time.

"Clearly, this is still a very new car for me because of the regulation changes and everything that comes with them, so the priority is to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

"My aim is to do the job the team requires of me, provide useful feedback, and adapt to the car as much as possible. If I can do that, it will be a positive session for the whole team and hopefully an enjoyable one for me too."

FP1 Rookie Drivers at Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

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