Several Formula 1 teams plan to use Friday’s opening practice session at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix (Free Practice 1) to give rookie, test, and reserve drivers track time, with some established race drivers not taking part in FP1. Both outlets report that the lineup for FP1 includes junior and back-of-the-grid talent replacing drivers who are otherwise regulars on Friday schedules.
The coverage indicates the purpose of these changes is development-focused: teams use the limited practice slot to allow reserve and test drivers to gain experience of an F1 weekend and the specific Barcelona circuit. In this arrangement, regular drivers—including those highlighted by Sky Sports in its preview—are expected to sit out FP1, creating opportunities for their respective replacement drivers.
While the sources agree on the overall plan—rookie and reserve participation in FP1 and selected regular drivers sitting out—they focus on different framing of the same schedule change rather than providing additional technical details.
