Max Verstappen’s Mexico City Grand Prix weekend will start without him in the cockpit. The four-time world champion is set to skip Free Practice 1 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, handing his Red Bull RB22 to Japanese junior driver Ayumu Iwasa for the opening hour of running on Friday.
This is not a rest day or a tactical gamble. It is the second mandatory rookie FP1 session of Verstappen’s 2026 season, following the one he already completed at Monza in September. Formula 1 rules require every full-time driver to cede their car to a young driver for at least two FP1 sessions across the year. Red Bull has chosen Mexico for Verstappen’s final obligation of the campaign.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR VERSTAPPEN AND RED BULL
Missing FP1 in Mexico is more than a logistical footnote. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits at high altitude, where thin air changes engine performance, cooling, and tyre behaviour in ways that are hard to fully simulate. Teams normally use the first practice session to baseline the car, check setup directions, and gather data on the unique conditions before the real work begins in FP2 and FP3.
Verstappen has historically used every available lap to dial in the car at this circuit. He remains the most successful driver in the modern era of the Mexico City Grand Prix, with five wins between 2017 and 2023. Sitting out the opening session means he will have one fewer hour to feel the balance and gather feedback before qualifying on Saturday evening.
For Red Bull, the decision is straightforward compliance with the regulations, but it also serves a longer-term purpose. Giving Iwasa meaningful mileage in the current car keeps the Japanese driver sharp and provides the team with additional data points from a different driving style. Iwasa has already completed three FP1 outings this season — two with Red Bull in Barcelona and Monza, plus one with Racing Bulls in Austria — so he arrives with useful recent experience.
THE BIGGER PICTURE FOR THE TITLE FIGHT
The timing of the session sits against a championship backdrop that has shifted dramatically. Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings by a commanding margin after his victory in Austin. Verstappen sits fourth, still competitive but no longer in realistic title contention for 2026. That reality may make the mandatory session slightly less painful for the Dutchman than it would have been in a tight title battle.
Still, every point and every tenth of a second counts for constructors’ championship positioning and for personal momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. Red Bull will want Verstappen fully locked in for qualifying and the race. Skipping FP1 simply compresses the preparation window.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM IWASA AND THE SESSION
Iwasa is not a complete unknown. He has shown solid form in Super Formula and previous FP1 appearances. Expect him to run a relatively conservative programme focused on data collection rather than outright pace. Red Bull will prioritise reliable telemetry and tyre information over headline times. The real story will be how quickly Verstappen can get up to speed once he returns to the car for FP2 later on Friday.
Track evolution and the high altitude mean the second practice session often becomes the more representative one anyway. Many teams treat FP1 in Mexico as a controlled experiment rather than a pure performance session. Verstappen missing it is inconvenient but far from catastrophic.
LOOKING AHEAD
This is the final mandatory rookie outing of Verstappen’s season. Once the hour is over, the focus returns fully to the race weekend and the remaining rounds. For fans watching from home, the first practice session will look a little different — one less Red Bull driven by the usual number 1, and one more opportunity for a young driver to gain valuable experience at one of the most atmospheric venues on the calendar.
The Mexico City Grand Prix has always delivered drama. This year it begins with a quiet but notable change in the usual routine. Verstappen will be back in the car soon enough. Until then, all eyes will be on how Iwasa handles the RB22 and what Red Bull learns from the data.
