Max Verstappen will have to wait a little longer to get his Mexico City Grand Prix weekend underway, with Red Bull handing the Dutchman’s RB22 to junior driver Ayumu Iwasa for Friday’s opening practice session.
The four-time world champion will watch from the sidelines at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez as Red Bull ticks off another mandatory rookie running opportunity, giving Iwasa a chance to add to his growing experience behind the wheel of an F1 car.
It means Verstappen’s first taste of action in Mexico will come in FP2, leaving him with one fewer session to fine-tune his car ahead of qualifying and Sunday’s race.
Iwasa gets another shot in the RB22
Formula 1 teams must provide at least four practice outings per season to rookie drivers, defined as those who have competed in no more than two Grands Prix.
The requirement is divided between the two race drivers, with each required to surrender their car for two sessions.
Iwasa has already enjoyed three FP1 appearances this season, taking the RB22 for a spin at Barcelona and Monza while also stepping into the sister Racing Bulls machine in Austria.
©Red Bull
Friday’s outing will bring his total number of official F1 practice appearances to eight. It will also be a return to familiar territory, with Iwasa having previously taken part in an FP1 session in Mexico for Racing Bulls last year.
Tsolov makes his F1 debut as rookie line-up grows
Iwasa will not be the only member of Red Bull’s junior stable getting a Friday opportunity. Racing Bulls has confirmed that Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov will replace Liam Lawson for FP1, marking the Bulgarian’s first appearance in an official Formula 1 session.
Tsolov arrives with some recent experience of F1 machinery, having completed a Testing of Previous Cars outing with Racing Bulls at Imola in August.
Driving the team’s 2025-specification VCARB 02, he covered 690 kilometres over 143 laps, giving him a useful foundation ahead of his official debut.
The two Red Bull-backed drivers are part of a much larger rookie presence in Mexico, with several teams using the opening session to fulfil their obligations and evaluate emerging talent.
McLaren will hand its car to Leonardo Fornaroli in place of reigning world champion Lando Norris, while Mercedes reserve Fred Vesti will take over George Russell’s seat.
Read also: Helmut Marko backs AI startup for messages from beyondThe latter change comes as Russell’s team-mate Kimi Antonelli continues his championship campaign, with the Italian potentially on the brink of becoming Formula 1’s youngest world champion.
Alpine and Audi will also introduce fresh faces, with Gabriele Mini and Freddie Slater respectively making their first official F1 appearances. Haas will give reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa another opportunity, while Luke Browning returns to the Williams cockpit.
At Cadillac, Colton Herta will take over from Valtteri Bottas, adding another name to an unusually busy rookie roster.
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