Verstappen expected to give up Red Bull for Mexico City FP1

Max Verstappen is expected to give up his Red Bull for first practice at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, with Ayumu Iwasa tipped to take the wheel. The team has not confirmed whether Verstappen will be the driver who steps aside.

The expectation is that Isack Hadjar will complete all three practice hours in Red Bull’s sister RB22 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Iwasa’s likely FP1 appearance comes as teams prepare to meet the requirement to give rookies practice opportunities.

Iwasa is due another Red Bull practice outing

Iwasa has already driven in two Red Bull FP1 sessions this season, taking over once in each of the team’s regular drivers’ cars. That means both Verstappen and Hadjar must relinquish a session again to satisfy the FIA-mandated rookie replacement criteria.

The Japanese driver is also set for his fourth run of the year. He previously deputised for Racing Bulls in FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, an outing covered in our report on Iwasa’s Austrian GP practice appearance. His earlier Red Bull outings included a session in Verstappen’s car, as detailed in our report on Iwasa’s Red Bull FP1 drive.

Mexico continues its rookie practice tradition

Mexico has become a regular venue for teams to run a rookie in practice. Audi, Aston Martin, Williams and Mercedes have already announced appearances for Freddie Slater, Jak Crawford, Luke Browning and Fred Vesti respectively.

Iwasa brings experience beyond this season’s opportunities. He finished fourth in the 2023 F2 championship and is the reigning Super Formula champion. He also took part in three FP1 sessions last season and two the year before.

Red Bull’s driver plan remains unconfirmed, but Iwasa is expected to return to the team’s cockpit in Mexico. The allocation would mean another practice session away from the car for one of its regular drivers, as the team fulfils its rookie-session obligations.