Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
A group of junior single-seater stars and graduates will be driving in the first practice session of Formula 1’s Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend.
Formula 2 title contenders Nikola Tsolov and Gabriele Mini will make their F1 practice debuts with Racing Bulls and Alpine respectively, as will FIA Formula 3 Championship runner-up and Audi junior Freddie Slater, while Colton Herta auditions for a 2027 Cadillac F1 seat by making his fifth FP1 appearance of the year with the team.
Red Bull junior Tsolov has recently been referred to by Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane as a “fantastic driver” who is “ready to go” in regards to racing for the team in 2027, with the 19-year-old’s practice outing as part of its strategy “to take a little bit more time and make sure we get the right pairing for next year”.
Tsolov’s official F1 test debut came two months ago, completing 428 miles of running in last year’s Racing Bulls VCARB 02 car at Imola. In June 2025 he drove the Red Bull RB7 from 2011 in a showrun that took place in his home country Bulgaria.
Mini and Tsolov became Alpine F1 juniors in February 2023, with the latter switching allegiances to join the Red Bull Junior Team in November 2024.
“I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the A526 and taking part in my first ever FP1 in F1,” said the 21-year-old Mini. “Having been part of the Alpine Academy for several years and progressing through the junior ranks, competing in an official F1 session is going to be a really special moment for me. ”
Cadillac’s test driver Herta is currently 19th in F2’s standings, but the 26-year-old American and former IndyCar star remains in consideration for promotion to F1 next year.
Slater, the youngest of the trio at 18, will not only get F1 mileage this weekend but also drive for Audi in FP1 of next weekend’s Brazil-based Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
McLaren and Aston Martin have called up their reserve drivers Jak Crawford and Leonardo Fornaroli, who graduated from F2 as the top two in the 2025 standings, to make free practice appearances in Mexico.
Both have focused on their F1 duties through 2026, but Fornaroli will race for McLaren’s team in the World Endurance Championship’s hypercar class next year: “Joining the McLaren Hypercar Team is an incredibly exciting next step in my career and I’m grateful that my role as McLaren F1 reserve driver has opened up this incredible opportunity.”
“I’m delighted to be continuing in that role next year while also taking on this new challenge. To represent McLaren in the WEC and at the Le Mans 24 Hours is a huge honour, and I am ready to give everything as we take on this new challenge together.”
Also in action later today in Mexico City is Williams’ reserve driver Luke Browning, who was fourth in F2 last year and is currently 13th in Super Formula.