Red Bull name replacement for Max Verstappen in FP1 at F1 Bahrain Grand Prix

Max Verstappen will skip FP1 at the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday.

The Formula 1 champion will be replaced in his Red Bull by Ayumu Iwasa for the session.

Multiple teams are choosing to fulfil their obligations to rookie drivers in F1 practice sessions this weekend.

FP1 in Bahrain is held at a different time, in expected warmer conditions, than qualifying or the grand prix so is somewhat unrepresentative of what will follow.

It therefore represents a good opportunity for F1 teams, including Red Bull, to give their future talent a go, as the rules permit they must.

Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Haas, Aston Martin, and Williams will all field a young driver in FP1 in Bahrain.

Max Verstappen skips FP1 at F1 Bahrain GP

Verstappen and the other senior F1 drivers will return for the second practice session.

Verstappen’s replacement Iwasa is no stranger to F1 sessions, though.

The Japanese driver has completed FP1 duties for Red Bull’s sister team, in Japan and Abu Dhabi, last year.

Iwasa also drove in the 2024 postseason Abu Dhabi test.

But this will be his first time in the Red Bull - he becomes the latest driver, after Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, to handle the difficult RB21.

Tsunoda, Verstappen’s newest teammate, will remain in his car for FP1 as he clocks up valuable laps in the RB21.

Bahrain is just Tsunoda’s second round driving for Red Bull after replacing Lawson, who is back at Racing Bulls.

Although Tsunoda has received backing already, he will want to immediately out-perform Racing Bulls’ Lawson and get as close as possible to Verstappen in Bahrain.