Fernando Alonso only got into the car in the second training session at the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Instead, a youngster can make his debut in the premier class.
Aston Martin puts its young driver Cian Shields in Fernando Alonso’s car in the first free practice session in Abu Dhabi. The team announced this on Tuesday afternoon. Lance Stroll’s car will also go to academy driver Jak Crawford – currently second overall in Formula 2.
The choice of the young Briton Shields is quite surprising: the 20-year-old hasn’t really been able to attract attention with top results in the junior classes so far. He didn’t score a single point in his two years in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
In 2024, Shields competed for Hitech in Formula 3, his best result was 14th place in the sprint race in Barcelona. He contested the 2025 season for AIX in Formula 2. He was left behind against his teammates.
“His feedback and professionalism were consistently strong”
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to drive in FT1 for Aston Martin,” said Shields: “I’ve learned so much this year, both in the simulator and through my TPC tests (Testing of Previous Cars, editor’s note), and now to be entrusted with the AMR25 on a Grand Prix weekend is a huge moment for me.”
According to Aston Martin, this season the young driver has completed over 500 kilometers of test drives in older cars and carried out extensive development work in the simulator at the AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone.
Aston Martin’s youth director Gerry Hughes was positive about Shields: “His feedback and professionalism have been consistently strong and he has continued to develop at every opportunity. The upcoming FT1 session is a fantastic end to the year and will allow him to put the knowledge and experience he has gained to best use for the team in the final race of the season.”