The leader of the championship, Kimi Antonelli, will be one of five drivers who sit out the opening practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday. Under the current Formula 1 regulations each team must field a rookie driver for at least two practice runs across the season, and the nature of the Hungaroring – a circuit the teams know well – combined with the fact that this weekend is not a Sprint event, has prompted five outfits to meet that requirement at this round. Antonelli, who currently enjoys a 45‑point lead over Lewis Hamilton and a 50‑point advantage over George Russell in the drivers’ standings, will hand his Mercedes‑W17 to reserve driver Frederik Vesti for the first practice slot on Friday.

Vesti, the 2023 Formula 2 runner‑up, already piloted Antonelli’s car during the opening practice at the Barcelona‑Catalunya Grand Prix last month, so the Italian’s absence is limited to this single session; he will return for the remaining practice runs later in the weekend. Sky Sports invites fans to follow its WhatsApp channel for the latest updates, video highlights, in‑depth analysis and more.

Meanwhile, Russell has yet to allocate his car to a rookie, meaning he will sit out two practice sessions across the eleven rounds scheduled after the summer hiatus. "I’m really excited to get back behind the wheel of the W17 and continue building my experience with the car. It’s a great opportunity and one I’m looking forward to making the most of," Vesti said, emphasizing his enthusiasm for the chance to gain further F1 mileage. Leonardo Fornaroli, the reigning Formula 2 champion, will also make his second Friday appearance of the season when he steps into Oscar Piastri’s McLaren for a practice stint.

Fornaroli, who captured back‑to‑back titles in Formula 3 (2024) and Formula 2 (2025), previously drove Lando Norris’s McLaren at Barcelona and has been linked with a potential seat at Haas for the 2027 season. In June, McLaren loaned the 21‑year‑old Italian to Haas for a TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) session, fueling speculation that he could replace Esteban Ocon at the American team in 2027. "At the moment we are not deciding anything.

We’re simply keeping the options open. We are not in a hurry, but Leo did a great job [in the test]," Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu explained.

Haas will also see Oliver Bearman miss the Budapest first practice, with Ryo Hirakawa taking his place for a second season outing. Paul Aron will enjoy his third 2026 practice appearance, this time driving Franco Colapinto’s Alpine.

Aron had earlier been loaned to Audi for practice sessions in Barcelona and Austria, gaining valuable experience with a different chassis. Former IndyCar competitor Colton Herta will join the first‑practice line‑up as well, getting behind the wheel of Valtteri Bottas’s Cadillac.

Herta’s participation highlights the growing trend of cross‑disciplinary talent being used to satisfy the rookie‑driver mandate. Fans are reminded to use the Chrome browser for optimal video playback. The official schedule for the Hungarian weekend is as follows: Thursday, July 23 – 2 pm Drivers’ Press Conference; 5 pm Paddock Uncut.

Friday, July 24 – 8:50 am F3 Practice; 10 am F2 Practice; 12 pm (session starts 12:30 pm) Hungarian GP Practice 1; 1:55 pm F3 Qualifying; 3 pm F2 Qualifying; 3:45 pm (session starts 4 pm) Hungarian GP Practice 2; 5 pm The F1 Show. Saturday, July 25 – 9 am F3 Sprint; 11:15 am (session starts 11:30 am) Hungarian GP Practice 3; 1:10 pm F2 Sprint; 2:15 pm Hungarian GP Qualifying build‑up; 3 pm Hungarian GP Qualifying; 5 pm Ted’s Qualifying Notebook. Sunday, July 26 – 7:35 am F3 Feature Race; 9:05 am Porsche Supercup; 10:20 am F2 Feature Race; 12:30 pm Hungarian GP build‑up; 2 pm The Hungarian Grand Prix; 4 pm Hungarian GP reaction (Chequered Flag); 5 pm Ted’s Notebook.

All asterisked events will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event. Formula 1 will head straight to Budapest, with every session streamed live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday onward. Viewers can watch the action via the NOW platform, which offers a contract‑free subscription that can be cancelled at any time.