Lewis Hamilton will sit out FP1 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, with Ferrari academy driver Dino Beganovic taking his place in the car.
Beganovic is one of seven rookie drivers participating in the opening practice session as part of a mandatory requirement for all Formula 1 teams.
The news arrives amid a busy week of headlines surrounding Hamilton, whose reported girlfriend Kim Kardashian caused a stir at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Kardashian, the 45-year-old reality TV star and Skims founder, was on the grid in Monaco to support Hamilton before famously appearing to snub Martin Brundle on his pre-race gridwalk.
The incident became one of the defining stories of the Monaco weekend, though at least one F1 figure has since claimed the moment was a deliberate setup rather than a genuine cold shoulder.
Elsewhere, the Monaco Grand Prix result could yet be changed again after the FIA confirmed Alpine have been successful in the first stage of their appeal.
Five drivers, including Hamilton, received penalties for pitlane speeding during the Monaco race, with Pierre Gasly the worst affected after two separate penalties cost him a podium finish.
The FIA and Formula 1 also unveiled a series of measures this week designed to shift focus back toward the internal combustion engine, with plans to lower the ratio of electrical energy used in power units down to a 60/40 split in favour of the ICE running on sustainable fuels by 2028.
However, reports suggest the regulation changes could come with a downside, with races potentially running slightly shorter as a consequence of the new framework.
Meanwhile, four-time champion Max Verstappen was spotted meeting with manager Raymond Vermeulen and senior Red Bull figures following his second DNF of the 2026 campaign, adding further speculation about the direction of his future.
Charles Leclerc, who recently signed a contract extension with Ferrari ahead of his home race in Monaco, is one of several drivers whose futures have been the subject of intense scrutiny during this busy period of the season.
The 28-year-old Monegasque driver committed further to the Scuderia despite not having mounted a serious title challenge since the early stages of 2022.