Ferrari reveal Leclerc to be replaced at upcoming grand prix

Ferrari have announced that driver Charles Leclerc will be replaced by a rising star at next month's Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Monegasque star, who will be attempting to bounce back from last week's disqualification when the sport arrives in Japan next weekend, will be one of the first drivers replaced by a young prospect this year.

The 27-year-old has gotten off to a disappointing start this season, achieving no higher than P5 in a competitive round with the Scuderia.

Leclerc was handed his worst result of the campaign so far last weekend after being disqualified from the Chinese GP alongside new team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a disastrous double blow for Ferrari.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton one of 3 drivers DISQUALIFIED from Chinese Grand Prix

Leclerc replaced by Ferrari junior in F1 debut

The Ferrari driver duo will hope to improve upon their so far inconsistent results at next weekend's Japanese GP, which kicks off another double-header before the pinnacle of motorsport heads to Bahrain, where Leclerc will be watching from the sidelines for FP1.

In an official announcement, Ferrari confirmed that Leclerc will sit out of the first free practice session on Friday April 11, with F2 star Dino Beganovic instead making his F1 debut behind the wheel of Leclerc's SF-25.

The 21-year-old has been a member of Ferrari's driver academy since 2020 and after graduating to F2 at the end of last year, will now go one step further and get his first taste of the pinnacle of motorsport at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Following a change to the rules for the 2025 season, rookies have been boosted with increased chances to try their hand during free practice sessions.

Previously, F1 teams had to field a rookie in each of their cars at least once during practice sessions throughout the year, but that has now increased to twice per car, with Beganovic announced as the first replacement of many for 2025.

🚨 @DinoBeganovic4 will get his first official F1 practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix! 💪

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 28, 2025

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