Max Verstappen is being "sidelined" by the team to allow a Japanese rookie/player to take his place.
According to this year's rules, rookies must be given four opportunities to gain experience during FP1, and Bahrain is the most suitable venue for this. The first practice session doesn't matter much, as the really important things happen under the lights at this circuit. Furthermore, the young drivers are familiar with the track, as it's a well-known and established venue for training series. With this in mind, Ayumu Iwasa could take a seat in Max Verstappen's Red Bull, creating a rarely seen configuration: an all-Japanese driver duo in a Formula 1 team.
At 23, Iwasa is no rookie anymore. He currently leads the Super Formula championship, but he also competed for two years in F2, where he was also part of the leading pack. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Yuki Tsunoda!
Photo: FML / Red Bull
