Four Formula 1 teams have chosen to replace one of their standard drivers with a ‘young driver’ for the first practice session at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
A new-for-2022 regulation requires all teams to give up two practice sessions across the season to drivers with less than three F1 starts to their name. Both cars must be used for this purpose, rather than the same driver being replaced in both sessions.
Every team bar Alpine has now run a ‘young driver’ in at least one session. They have a driver lined up who will participate in two of the three remaining events after the US GP.
The Circuit of the Americas is an ideal venue to run an unfamiliar driver. It has a lot of run-off, reducing the risk of an inexperienced driver damaging a car.
It is also one of the most important venues for F1 due to the scale of the event it holds and the access to the American market for media coverage and sponsorship that it provides.
McLaren: Alex Palou
There’s been a lot of talk about F1 and IndyCar in recent months. But it has not turned into solid opportunities for drivers in America’s top single-seater series to appear in F1 until now, as last year’s champion Alex Palou will take over the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo at COTA.
Palou’s route to a practice opportunity has been complicated, as this year he has been involved in a legal battle after attempting to leave Chip Ganassi Racing for McLaren’s IndyCar team for 2023. The outcome of that was Palou remaining with Ganassi for next season, but being free to pursue F1 opportunities with McLaren.
He recently tested at Circuit de Catalunya and the Red Bull Ring in last year’s car and will make his practice debut at COTA. It’s not a track he knows, as it last hosted IndyCar in 2019 before he arrived in the series.
Aside from his four wins in IndyCar, Palou’s single-seater career has also included victories in Euroformula, GP3, Formula V8 3.5 and Super Formula.
Another driver that McLaren are interested in running in practice is 2021 Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri, who will race for them next year. But Alpine appear unwilling to release him to McLaren before the season is over.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Williams: Logan Sargeant
The local fans will know of Palou’s name, both because of his on-track success and of the contractual controversy, but they will…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…