P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton will miss the final first practice session of the 2025 F1 season.
Ferrari has announced that Lewis Hamilton will be substituted by Arthur Leclerc, Charles’s brother, for the initial practice before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. The Leclerc siblings previously teamed up for FP1 before last year’s Abu Dhabi GP, marking a special occasion for the family. Hamilton will be absent from the first practice at Yas Marina Circuit as Ferrari still needs to include a rookie driver in one more FP1 session, adhering to the mandatory regulation applicable to all teams. This implies that the seven-time world champion will rejoin his SF-25 for the second practice, the most significant session in Abu Dhabi. The season’s final race serves as Hamilton’s last opportunity to secure a podium finish for Ferrari in his debut season with the Scuderia, having only achieved a Sprint win and a place on the podium so far. Additionally, Ferrari verified that Dino Beganovic will pilot the SF-25 in its present setup during the post-season test next Tuesday, with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc each completing half a day. Noteworthy is that Beganovic is part of the Scuderia’s developmental program and currently competes in Formula 2, being previously utilized by Ferrari in first practice sessions.
