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Ayumu Iwasa will replace Max Verstappen in Red Bull’s RB22 for the opening practice session at the Italian Grand Prix, making it his third FP1 appearance of the 2026 season. The outing forms part of Red Bull’s ongoing effort to meet its mandatory rookie running obligations.
Iwasa, who is a reserve driver for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls, previously drove the RB22 at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. He completed 21 laps and finished the session in P14. One week later, at the Austrian Grand Prix, he took the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 through FP1, completing 19 laps on his way to P15.
The Japanese driver’s return to Verstappen’s car adds another valuable reference point to his growing experience across Red Bull’s two teams. For the team, the session will also provide another opportunity to assess a rookie in a full race-weekend environment without disrupting its wider preparation for Monza.
For more on the weekend’s competitive backdrop, see our 2026 Italian Grand Prix guide.
Iwasa has become a familiar presence in Friday practice. His first FP1 appearance came at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, where he drove Daniel Ricciardo’s car and helped create an all-Japanese line-up alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
He later completed further FP1 sessions at Abu Dhabi that season before driving Verstappen’s car for the first time at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix. Additional appearances with Racing Bulls in 2025, including at the Mexico City Grand Prix, took his total to five sessions before the current campaign began.
His 2026 programme has already added two more outings, with the Monza session set to extend that experience in one of Red Bull’s leading cars. The results from Barcelona and the Red Bull Ring offer a clear baseline, but the significance of the session will lie primarily in the mileage and feedback gathered over the practice run.
Liam Lawson will again partner Verstappen in Red Bull’s second car during the Monza weekend. The New Zealander was brought across from Racing Bulls at the Dutch Grand Prix after Isack Hadjar injured his wrist while training over the summer break.
Lawson made an immediate impression at Zandvoort, qualifying eighth and finishing seventh to score six points. At Monza, the Red Bull line-up will therefore combine his continued race-weekend role with Iwasa’s latest opportunity to demonstrate his readiness in FP1.
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