Arthur Leclerc steps in as Hamilton sits out Abu Dhabi FP1

Ferrari will roll out a familiar family pairing for the final FP1 session of the season, with Arthur Leclerc once again joining his brother Charles on track in Abu Dhabi.

The Scuderia confirmed that Arthur will take Lewis Hamilton’s seat for Friday’s opening practice at Yas Marina, replicating the milestone moment the Leclerc brothers shared at the same event last year.

Hamilton’s absence is a scheduled compliance move for Ferrari, with the Italian outfit still needing to fulfill Formula 1’s mandatory requirement to run a rookie in each of its cars in at least two FP1 sessions over the course of the season, and Abu Dhabi offered the final opportunity.

Hamilton will be back in the SF-25 for FP2, the session that teams consider most representative under the desert lights.

Happy To Be Back on Track with Charles

For Arthur Leclerc, the call-up is not only another taste of F1 machinery but a rare chance to share the circuit with his brother in an official session.

“Charles and I are very happy to be driving again together in FP1,” Arthur said. “It’s very exciting to be in a car on the other side of the garage from him.

“From a technical point of view, driving the car on track is always useful for us drivers who mainly support the team with our work in the simulator back in Maranello. It helps us to give better feedback to the engineers.”

The younger Leclerc has spent much of the season contributing to Ferrari’s simulator development, and track time – particularly at a demanding, data-rich circuit like Yas Marina – gives him valuable real-world input to refine that work.

Ferrari also confirmed that Dino Beganovic will take the wheel in next week’s post-season test, running the SF-25 in its current configuration.

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Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will share the day, splitting driving duties as the Scuderia closes the book on its 2025 campaign and looks toward next season.

Hamilton, meanwhile, heads into this weekend’s curtain closer still searching for his first Grand Prix podium as a Ferrari driver. Despite a Sprint win in China, the seven-time world champion has yet to stand among the top three on a Sunday.

Abu Dhabi represents his final opportunity to change that narrative before the winter break.

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