Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen set to sit out FP1 as teams field 10 rookies in the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP

It will be a slightly different start to the F1 weekend in Abu Dhabi as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will miss the FP1 session, making way for the rookies.

Hamilton and Verstappen are among the 10 drivers set to miss the FP1 session. This will allow the rookies to get some track action under their belt. The Mercedes driver will make way for F2 title aspirant Frederik Vesti while the three-time world champion Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez will make way for Jake Dennis & Isack Hadjar.

It is all part of the sport's efforts to give young drivers mandatory three FP1 sessions over the season. Below is the list of 10 rookie drivers who will take to the track in Abu Dhabi for the FP1 session:

Red Bull - Jake Dennis & Isack Hadjar

Ferrari - Robert Shwartzman

Mercedes - Frederik Vesti

Alpine - Jack Doohan

McLaren- Pato O'Ward

Alfa Romeo - Theo Pourchaire

Aston Martin - Felipe Drugovich

Haas - Oliver Bearman

Williams - Zak O'Sullivan

Lewis Hamilton speaks on being teammates with Max Verstappen

Ahead of the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claimed that Lewis Hamilton made contact with them for a possible race seat at the team for the 2024 season.

However, the seven-time world champion swiftly denied any such contact but claimed that he wasn't afraid of partnering with Max Verstappen. He said on Sky Sports:

"I 100 percent would be more than happy to race against him (Verstappen) in an equal car. For me, Red Bull has done an amazing job and it is an incredible team. And any driver would love to drive for such a great group of people.

"I think moving from a car that's not so great to a winning car, from my perspective, that's not a dream. The dream is always to start where we kind of are and build up to then winning. That's why I've stayed with Mercedes. I don't think he wants me to be his team-mate."

Max Verstappen, too, in his response, acknowledged the challenge of racing alongside Lewis Hamilton in the same car. However, it is very unlikely that it will ever transpire as it has the potential of becoming a managerial nightmare for the team.

About the author

Devang is a Formula 1 and NASCAR journalist at Sportskeeda with 3500+ articles and over 5 million reads under his belt. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has a total experience of 3.5 years.

To keep up with the sport’s developments, Devang watches every single session and comes up with unique angles for the stories, from the readers’ perspective, using his expertise in the field. He strives to report accurate, ethical and relevant data by reading information from verified sources in the field, ones that are also trusted by industry experts.

Currently, his favorite drivers on the grid are Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo; he is particularly impressed by how the two drivers rarely lose their cool and approach everything with a smile on their faces. He classifies himself as a ‘Tifosi’ and is a Charles Leclerc fan.

Devang is a sports buff and when he is away from his keyboard, he watches other sports like cricket, tennis, badminton, and football, to name a few.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava