Juri Vips to make F1 debut with Red Bull in Barcelona!

Red Bull junior Juri Vips will enjoy his official F1 debut in Barcelona, with the F2 charger taking over Sergio Perez's car in Friday's first practice session.

This year, F1's sporting regulations mandate that teams must assign a rookie driver - or a driver who competed in no more than two F1 world championship rounds - to at least two practice sessions.

Red Bull has logically decided to entrust its RB18 in Friday's session to Vips, its first-in-line young hopeful.

The Estonian has sampled F1 machinery in the past, with Red Bull running Vips in F1's end-of-season young driver tests in Abu Dhabi, while he has acted as a reserve driver for both Re Bull and sister outfit AlphaTauri.

Read also: De Vries expects to be 'thrown in the deep' in Barcelona

Vips will enjoy a busy weekend in Spain as he'll also be racing with his regular team Hitech in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

The 21-year-old currently sits sixth in the series' standings after three rounds.

Vips won't be the only new driver taking part in Friday's FP1, with Williams assigning Nyck de Vries to the session.

Furthermore, Alfa Romeo reserve Robert Kubica will also be behind the wheel of the Swiss outfit's C42 on Friday.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.