Liam Lawson to Miss Austrian GP FP1 as Racing Bulls Field Ayumu Iwasa

Liam Lawson will sit out first practice for the Austrian Grand Prix as Racing Bulls hands his car to Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa. The Japanese driver is set to make his second F1 appearance of the 2026 season at the Red Bull Ring, filling the seat as the team meets its mandatory rookie session obligation.

Why it matters:

Skipping FP1 costs Lawson valuable track time at a venue where every lap helps refine setup ahead of qualifying. With Racing Bulls locked in tight midfield battles, the lost session could leave the New Zealander on the back foot when Saturday's shootout arrives. For Red Bull, the outing offers another chance to evaluate whether Iwasa has the pace to eventually join the senior roster.

The details:

• Previous outing: The DAMS Formula 2 driver previously drove Isack Hadjar's RB22 during first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix for the main Red Bull squad. This weekend marks his first experience in the Racing Bulls machinery.
• Rookie rule mechanics: F1 regulations require each team to run a rookie driver in four FP1 sessions per season, split evenly across both cars. Racing Bulls had already logged sessions against their quota when Arvid Lindblad, also a rookie, took part earlier in the year.
• Lawson's program: Lawson will return for second practice and is expected to complete the remainder of the race weekend without further interruption.

What's next:

Red Bull continues to rotate its junior talent through mandatory FP1 slots to assess prospects for future seats. Lawson, meanwhile, must compress his setup work into the remaining practice sessions to ensure he is sharp for qualifying at the team's home circuit, where expectations from the Austrian faithful always run high.