Ayumu Iwasa Replaces Isack Hadjar at FP1 Barcelona

Ayumu Iwasa will replace Isack Hadjar for the FP1 session at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix this weekend. The Japanese driver will get his first chance to drive the RB22 alongside Max Verstappen, fulfilling one of the four mandatory rookie practice sessions for the Milton Keynes-based team this F1 season.

In Spain, Iwasa will be joined by several other rookie drivers. The F1 team's experience with the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit makes it an ideal place to swap out one of their regular drivers for FP1. This is especially important given the cancelled Grand Prix in Bahrain in April, which eliminated a nearly guaranteed opportunity for the team to partially fulfill the FIA's rules.

Alongside Iwasa, other confirmed drivers for FP1 include Colton Herta for Cadillac, Leonardo Fornaroli for McLaren, Fred Vesti for Mercedes, Luke Browning for Williams, and Paul Aron for Audi. With Iwasa on board, at least six of the 11 teams will feature an alternate driver in one of their cars for the first hour of practice this weekend.

Iwasa, 24, finished the 2023 season in fourth place in the F2 standings before returning to Japan to compete in Super Formula, where he won the drivers' championship in 2025. He is also a test and reserve driver for Racing Bulls and has participated in numerous FP1 sessions, as well as the rookie test at the end of the season.