Red Bull Racing have confirmed that Ayumu Iwasa will take Max Verstappen’s place during the opening free practice session at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 world champion, will sit out Friday morning’s first practice session as Red Bull fulfil their obligation under the sport’s rookie driver regulations. The rule requires every team to give a rookie driver two FP1 opportunities during the season in each of its cars.

Iwasa, 24, will therefore get the opportunity to drive Verstappen’s RB22 around the famous Monza circuit, widely known as the “Temple of Speed.” The first practice session is scheduled to begin at 12:30pm local time on Friday, which is 11:30am in the UK and 6:30am Eastern Time.

The Japanese driver has already gained considerable experience in Formula 1 machinery. His appearance at Monza will mark his eighth F1 session, following previous outings in Japan and Abu Dhabi in 2024, as well as Mexico City and Abu Dhabi in 2025.

Iwasa has also driven for Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, in Austria earlier this year. He has subsequently been given opportunities with the senior Red Bull team in Bahrain and Barcelona, demonstrating the increasing confidence the Milton Keynes-based outfit has in his abilities.

The Japanese youngster remains one of the standout prospects within Red Bull’s junior programme. Away from his Formula 1 commitments and testing duties, Iwasa competes in Japan’s Super Formula championship with Team Mugen. He won the series title last season and is currently second in this year’s standings with 59.5 points, behind championship leader Kakunoshin Ohta.

However, Iwasa’s promotion was not the only significant driver announcement involving Red Bull on Thursday.

The team also confirmed that Isack Hadjar will remain unavailable for the Italian Grand Prix after suffering a wrist injury during training. The 21-year-old Frenchman missed the previous Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort after fracturing his wrist and has not yet recovered sufficiently to return.

Liam Lawson will once again replace Hadjar for Red Bull at Monza. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda is set to continue deputising for Lawson at Racing Bulls.

With Verstappen only missing the opening session, the Dutchman is expected to return to the cockpit for FP2, meaning his weekend programme will begin later than usual. Red Bull will be hoping the temporary change does not disrupt their preparations for one of the fastest and most demanding races on the Formula 1 calendar.