F1 | Bearman and Doohan return to the track in Silverstone FP1

During the championship, each team must make room in at least two free practice sessions for rookies, giving them the opportunity to get closer to the world of Formula 1. Often the teams rely on talents from their respective academies, or drivers with whom there are commercial agreements.

Several rookie drivers, who have already completed a maximum of two Formula 1 Grands Prix, will return to the track at Silverstone. Among them will be both Franco Colapinto with Williams, already announced on Monday, and Jack Doohan with Alpine, with the latter taking Pierre Gasly’s place in FP1.

For the Australian driver, this is another opportunity not only to demonstrate his skills to the team, but also to test the 2024 car, so as to have a direct reference from the track for his work in the simulator. For drivers dedicated to virtual reality, it is essential to have the chance to understand the behavior of the car even on a real track, so as to give even more feedback to the engineers on how to improve the car. The Australian himself will also be busy with a test around mid-month, again at Silverstone but with the 2022 car, in which Mick Schumacher will also be driving.

Doohan has already made the first of two mandatory runs during the last Canadian GP. An unusual choice, but one that Alpine justified by underlining how it wanted to anticipate these mandatory tests to allow the official drivers to run all the sessions in the second part of the year, when in theory the car should be more competitive and it will be necessary to exploit all the opportunities that arise in order to earn precious points for the standings.

The Australian, however, will not be the only rookie to take to the track this weekend. In addition to the aforementioned Colapinto, in fact, Oliver Bearman will also return to the wheel of the Haas during the FP1 of the home Grand Prix, in what will be his third outing aboard the VF-24 this season. Ferrari, given that the young British talent is part of the Prancing Horse Academy, and the American team have in fact decided to complete a program that includes seven FP1 sessions during this world championship, with the first two held between Imola and Barcelona.

For Berman, who seems to be getting closer and closer to Formula 1 with Haas, the test represents another chance to get more and more in touch with a top-series car, with an intensive training program. Also this week, Bearman will combine his commitments with the American team with those of Formula 2, the championship in which he is currently involved together with Prema. Despite a difficult first part of the season and lacking in satisfaction, in the last appointment in Austria the young talent of the FDA scored his first victory in the championship in the Sprint Race on Saturday.