Max Verstappen will miss the opening practice session for the 2026 F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 4, as Red Bull hands his car to Ayumu Iwasa under the sport’s rookie driver programme. Iwasa will drive No. 3 RB22 in FP1, while the four-time world champion watches from the sidelines before returning for the rest of the weekend.
Every team must field a rookie F1 driver in practice sessions four times during the season, and this will be the first session in 2026 where Verstappen will give up his car. Iwasa, meanwhile, gets another opportunity to show his potential as he continues to work towards a future full-time F1 seat.
Red Bull announced the change on Facebook, confirming that the Japanese driver will take over Max Verstappen’s car for the opening practice session at Monza:
“Ready for Monza 🇮🇹 Ayumu will drive Max’s car during FP1, as part of the rookie driver programme 💙”
Ayumu Iwasa is a familiar name within the Red Bull and Honda driver programmes. The Japanese racer is part of the Red Bull Junior Team and Honda Formula Dream Project and currently competes for Team Mugen in Super Formula. He won the Super Formula championship in 2025 and remains with the team in 2026 while also serving as a reserve and test driver for Racing Bulls.
Iwasa has built experience in European single-seater racing. He won the 2020 French Formula 4 championship before moving into F2 with DAMS. The 24-year-old finished fifth in the 2022 F2 standings and fourth the following year, showing enough pace to remain on Red Bull’s radar. He will now get his chance to drive the RB22 at one of F1’s fastest circuits.
For Max Verstappen, meanwhile, the timing comes after a frustrating home race at Zandvoort. The Red Bull driver started seventh after struggling for pace throughout the Dutch Grand Prix weekend and saw his race end on the opening lap after losing control of the RB22 at the final damp Luyendyk corner.
The RB22 rear stepped out at the final corner, and Max Verstappen hit the barriers heavily but immediately confirmed that he was unhurt. The crash brought out the red flag and ended his final F1 race at Zandvoort for the foreseeable future. Lando Norris eventually won the race ahead of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
Verstappen reflected on the difficult ending, saying (via News.Verstappen):
“Not being able to finish the race in Zandvoort was disappointing, but it was still really special to see the fans at the circuit one last time and thank them for all the memories.”
Max Verstappen hopes his car can be more competitive at Monza.
Max Verstappen faces a different challenge at Monza
Max Verstappen heads to Monza with an impressive record at the Italian Grand Prix. He has won three of the last four races at the circuit, making the Temple of Speed one of the venues where the Red Bull driver has traditionally been particularly strong.
However, Verstappen is not expecting his previous success to automatically translate into another victory. Red Bull struggled for overall pace at Zandvoort, and the Dutchman acknowledged that the team needs to improve the RB22 before it can challenge the leaders consistently. Speaking ahead of the Italian GP, he said:
“We are heading to Monza, after a reset, and it is difficult to predict how competitive we will be there. There are a few things we need to work on to be a bit closer to the pace and to make sure the balance of the car is right.”
Monza’s long straights and low-downforce corners create a different challenge from Zandvoort. Max Verstappen is hopeful that Red Bull’s package will suit the circuit better, especially given the team’s previous results there. The four-time world champion remains positive about returning to one of his favorite tracks:
“Monza is one of my favorite tracks and I like that it is an old school, fast circuit. I always enjoy coming here and seeing the passionate fans. It is a track that we have typically performed well at before so we will wait and see what is possible.”
Max Verstappen will also continue to have Liam Lawson as his teammate at Monza. Lawson replaced the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull in Zandvoort and finished seventh, earning valuable points for the team. Hadjar is recovering from the wrist injury, with Red Bull choosing not to rush his return.
Edited by Anurup Chakraborty