Max Verstappen will not participate in the first free practice session of the Italian Grand Prix. Red Bull will entrust his RB22 to Ayumu Iwasa.
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Max Verstappen will watch from the garage at the start of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. Red Bull has confirmed that the four-time world champion will hand over his car to Ayumu Iwasa during the first free practice session held on Friday in Monza.
This change is not related to any problem concerning the Dutchman. It is part of the regulatory obligations requiring teams to give young drivers track time during certain free practice sessions. For Iwasa, this will already be his third appearance in FP1 this season.
Iwasa takes over Verstappen’s Red Bull
Red Bull and Racing Bulls reserve driver Iwasa is already familiar with the RB22 as he drove it during the first free practice session of the Spanish-Catalan Grand Prix earlier this season.
The Japanese driver completed 21 laps and set the 14th fastest time in that session. A week later, he switched teams to take the wheel of the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 at the Red Bull Ring. With 19 laps completed, he finished that session in 15th position.
Monza will therefore offer him a new opportunity to gain experience behind the wheel of a current car while providing important data to Red Bull on a circuit with very particular characteristics.
A sixth FP1 appearance for the Japanese driver
At 24 years old, Iwasa already has some experience with these Friday sessions. His first Grand Prix appearance was in Japan in 2024, when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls.
He then formed an all-Japanese duo with Yuki Tsunoda in front of his home crowd. Iwasa then secured another session in Abu Dhabi before discovering Verstappen’s car for the first time at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Other appearances with Racing Bulls followed during the same season, notably in Mexico. He thus totaled five FP1 sessions before the start of the 2026 campaign and now continues to broaden his experience with the two teams in the Red Bull family.
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Verstappen will have to quickly regain his bearings
For Verstappen, this absence means he will only have FP2 and FP3 to prepare for qualifying and the race. On a circuit as specific as Monza, where teams use very low downforce aerodynamic setups, every minute of running can be important.
Red Bull will nevertheless be able to benefit from the work done by Iwasa to prepare the RB22’s setup. The Japanese driver will have the mission of accumulating kilometers and providing usable information before Verstappen takes back his car for the second session.
The Dutchman will then try to quickly find his marks after a Dutch Grand Prix that ended abruptly on the first lap following his spectacular crash in the last corner.
Lawson stays alongside Verstappen
The Italian weekend will also be marked by the absence of Isack Hadjar. Still troubled by his wrist injury sustained during training in the summer break, the Frenchman was forced to withdraw for a second consecutive Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson will therefore keep his place in the second Red Bull. The New Zealander was called up urgently at Zandvoort and delivered a convincing performance by qualifying eighth before finishing seventh in the race.
These six points were an excellent result for his return to the main team. Lawson will now have a new opportunity to impress in Monza, this time with a full weekend of preparation.
Red Bull will therefore approach the FP1 of the Italian Grand Prix with an unusual duo composed of Liam Lawson and Ayumu Iwasa. Verstappen will regain his RB22 from FP2 with the goal of quickly making up for lost track time.
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