Ferrari confirms FP1 driver change for Austrian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are in their second full season as Ferrari teammates in F1 2026
Dino Beganovic will drive Charles Leclerc’s car in FP1 at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Ferrari has announced.
It comes after Beganovic deputised for Lewis Hamilton at the last race in Barcelona, where the seven-time world champion ended his two-year winless streak.
Dino Beganovic to drive Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in Austrian GP FP1
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Beganovic, who currently competes in Formula 2, has made a number of practice appearances with Ferrari since the start of last season.
The 22-year-old Swede enjoyed two FP1 appearances in 2025, deputising for Leclerc in both Bahrain and Austria.
He returned to FP1 action in Barcelona earlier this month, stepping into Hamilton’s car at the former Spanish Grand Prix venue.
Beganovic was classified eighth overall in opening practice at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, trailing third-placed Leclerc by around 0.9 seconds.
Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc: Ferrari head-to-head stats for F1 2026 season
F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates
F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates
Despite his loss of track time on Friday, Hamilton went on to claim his first victory since July 2024 in Barcelona.
His record-extending 106th career triumph also saw Ferrari return to winning ways for the first time since Carlos Sainz’s victory at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.
Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari has confirmed that Beganovic will step in for Leclerc in FP1 at the Red Bull Ring.
F1’s rules dictate that teams must field a rookie driver – defined as a driver who has started no more than two grands prix – on four occasions, two in each car, over the course of a season.
As such, Beganovic’s latest FP1 appearance will mean that Leclerc and Hamilton must both sit out one more FP1 session over the remaining 14 rounds of 2026.
A number of other teams will also field rookies in Austria, with Jak Crawford taking over Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin AMR26 for FP1.
Meanwhile, Luke Browning is set to deputise for Carlos Sainz at Williams, with Paul Aron standing in for Gabriel Bortoleto at Audi.
After starting the F1 2026 season with podiums in Australia and Japan, Leclerc has struggled over recent weeks.
The 28-year-old crashed out of his home race in Monaco after the track started breaking up, with Leclerc also suffering an accident in qualifying in Barcelona after a mistake.
The Barcelona GP weekend saw Leclerc try Carbone Industrie brake discs for the first time, with a mix of brake materials between CI and long-term Ferrari supplier Brembo thought to be key to Hamilton’s recent resurgence.
Leclerc’s challenging run has come after he signed a new Ferrari contract ahead of his home race in Monte Carlo.
PlanetF1.com understands that Leclerc’s new deal will keep him at Ferrari beyond the 2030 season, making him the first driver to commit his future to his existing team beyond the current decade.
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