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F1 LIVE | Piastri will be replaced in Abu Dhabi, as Vasseur responds to Hamilton's frustration

07:01, 02 Dec

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byNorberto Mujica

Here you will find the best F1 stories of today, 02 December 2025.

LiveBlog

O'ward will take over from Piastri in FP1

Oscar Piastri will give up his McLaren seat in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Pato O’Ward stepping in as the team fulfils Formula 1’s rookie-practice requirement.

Under the regulations, every team must run a rookie in FP1 twice per season for each car, unless that car is driven full-time by a designated rookie.

Seven teams still needed to complete their obligations: McLaren, Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Williams, Ferrari, Haas and Aston Martin. GPblog reported that Arvid Lindblad will replace Yuki Tsunoda for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi, while Racing Bulls will run Ayumu Iwasa in place of Liam Lawson.

Other confirmed rookie outings include Ryo Hirakawa for Haas, Jak Crawford for Aston Martin, and Luke Browning for Williams. Ferrari has not yet announced its final FP1 choice.

Vasseur responds to Hamilton and Leclerc's frustration

Frederic Vasseur has acknowledged the frustration expressed by Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after the Qatar Grand Prix but downplayed the comments as emotional reactions.

Hamilton said he had extensive notes on Ferrari’s weaknesses and urged the team to address them, while Leclerc said he took major risks in qualifying to aim for P8 or P9 before finishing P10.

Speaking to GPblog, Vasseur said he understood the sentiment and admitted he might have reacted similarly in the immediate aftermath of the session.

He emphasised that internal collaboration remained positive and that both drivers consistently shifted focus back to problem-solving once inside the garage.

Vasseur highlighted that the priority was working with engineers and mechanics to find solutions, saying the team continued those efforts throughout the weekend.

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