Liam Lawson to sit out Austrian GP FP1 as Racing Bulls field Ayumu Iwasa

Liam Lawson will be watching the opening practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix from the Racing Bulls pit wall, with the team confirming a mandatory FP1 driver change for the weekend at the Red Bull Ring.

Iwasa handed second 2026 FP1 outing

Iwasa’s Austrian Grand Prix appearance will mark his second FP1 run of 2026. His first came at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he drove Isack Hadjar’s RB22 for the main Red Bull team.

The timing is also significant because the Red Bull Ring weekend is already a focal point across the paddock. For the full session structure around the event, see our 2026 Austrian Grand Prix timetable.

Mandatory rookie rule shapes Racing Bulls plan

The change is not a performance-related decision around Lawson. It is part of Formula 1’s mandatory rookie practice requirements, with each team required to field a rookie in four first practice sessions across the season — twice in each car.

Racing Bulls’ situation has a notable wrinkle. With Arvid Lindblad being a rookie, his first two FP1 sessions have already counted towards the team’s overall total. Even so, Lawson must still give up two opening practice sessions in 2026, and Austria will be the first of those.

For Lawson, that means a watching brief rather than track time at the start of the weekend. The opening session is often when teams establish baseline balance, assess early set-up direction and begin shaping the run plan for the rest of the event. Missing that hour places greater emphasis on how efficiently Lawson and Racing Bulls absorb Iwasa’s feedback before Lawson returns to the cockpit.

A focused handover for Lawson

Lawson’s role will not be passive, even if he is not driving. From the pit wall and engineering briefings, he will need to follow Iwasa’s run closely, ensuring the information gathered in FP1 can be carried into his own programme once he is back in the car.

It is a routine obligation under the rules, but one that still matters. At a condensed and competitive Formula 1 weekend, the quality of that handover can shape how quickly a race driver gets up to speed after missing the first session.