Max Verstappen's FP1 Absence at Monza: Ayumu Iwasa Steps In

Max Verstappen will not be missing from Monza this weekend – but he will be watching the opening laps from the garage.

Red Bull have confirmed that the world champion will sit out FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix, with Ayumu Iwasa stepping into the RB22 for the first practice session at the Temple of Speed. Verstappen returns to the cockpit for FP2 and will contest the rest of the weekend as normal.

This is rotation, not drama. No injury, no illness, no hidden suspension. Just modern F1 box-ticking.

Rookie rules open the door for Iwasa

Iwasa, 25, is one of Red Bull’s reserve and development drivers and has been handed a valuable outing as the team fulfils F1’s rookie running requirements. Teams must give rookie drivers track time in four free practice sessions across the season, and Friday’s FP1 at Monza has been earmarked as one of those slots.

For Iwasa, it is a rare and coveted chance: a live session in a front-running car, on one of the calendar’s most unforgiving high-speed circuits. For Verstappen, it is a brief pause, nothing more. He knew about the plan, agreed to it, and will still have FP2 and Saturday’s running to hone his qualifying and race set-up.

The trade-off is simple. Red Bull gain crucial data on a potential future race driver, while Verstappen sacrifices 60 minutes of practice at a track he knows intimately.

Red Bull shuffle the pack again

Iwasa’s cameo is not the only change in Red Bull’s wider line-up this weekend.

Hadjar remains sidelined as he continues to recover from a wrist injury, so Liam Lawson will again join Verstappen in the senior Red Bull team. Yuki Tsunoda, in turn, will move across to Racing Bulls to fill Lawson’s seat there.

It is another reminder of how aggressively Red Bull manage their driver pool. One injury, one rookie requirement, and the entire ecosystem shifts.

Verstappen arrives with a point to prove

Monza comes at a sensitive moment for Verstappen. He heads to Italy still stung by his crash at the Dutch Grand Prix, a rare blot on a record that has been relentlessly clean in recent seasons.

He has urged Red Bull to stay realistic about their pace, even with last year’s victory at Monza still fresh in the memory. The benchmark remains high, but the margins at this circuit are brutal. Straight-line speed, low drag, and razor-thin braking points leave little room for error.

So yes, Verstappen will be out of the car for FP1. The cameras will find Iwasa in the RB22 when the pit lane opens on Friday.

But once the serious business begins, the familiar number 1 will be back at full throttle, chasing redemption at the Temple of Speed.