Who is Ayumu Iwasa? Max Verstappen's Red Bull replacement for Bahrain GP FP1

Formula 1 fans tuning in to FP1 action at the Bahrain Grand Prix will notice that Max Verstappen is not driving his Red Bull in the session.

Ahead of the fourth round of the 2025 championship campaign, Red Bull have confirmed an all-Japanese lineup for the first Bahrain GP free practice session (FP1).

This opportunity sees 23-year-old Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa stepping into a Red Bull F1 car for the first time this season, partnering with fellow countryman Yuki Tsunoda.

Iwasa, a rising star in Super Formula, gets a further taste of F1 machinery this weekend, having made an appearance for junior outfit Racing Bulls in front of his home crowd at the Japanese GP FP1 last year.

He also previously entered the F1 world during the 2023 young driver test in Abu Dhabi with AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls).

Now, let's delve into the impressive career of the rising Japanese star.

Early life

Hailing from a family with a history in motorsport, Iwasa was born on September 22, 2001. Both his parents raced Honda Civics in the 1990s, and racing goes back even further in his family with his grandfather's competitive career.

Iwasa's racing journey began in Japan with karting at the tender age of four. After graduating from Osaka International Senior High School, he moved to competitive racing in 2014. That year, he won the Suzuka Karting Championship in both the Yamaha-SS and X-30 classes. Iwasa also competed in the JAF Junior Karting Championship FP during his junior karting career.

Career

After impressing in karting, the Japanese driver transitioned to single-seater racing in 2017, competing in the F4 Japanese Championship and the Asian Formula Renault Series. He raced in his first full season in 2019, claiming the overall title in the Suzuka Racing School's Single Seater Series.

In 2020, he was selected as a Honda Formula Dream Project driver. He once again put on an impressive performance, dominating the French F4 Championship and winning the title by a commanding 81 points. This dominant performance earned him a coveted spot on the Red Bull Junior Team in early 2021.

The next two years were a whirlwind of success for Iwasa. He competed in both the Asian Formula Three and the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2021, securing his first F3 victory in Hungary. His impressive performance at post-season testing with DAMS in Abu Dhabi then landed him a seat with the French team for the 2022 Formula 2 Championship.

In F2, Iwasa continued to shine, claiming a couple of victories and podium finishes, finishing an impressive fifth overall in his debut season. The 2023 campaign saw Iwasa build on that success, adding victories in Saudi Arabia, Monte Carlo, and Australia to his tally. He finished the season a strong fourth in the championship standings.

It was then announced that Iwasa would be joining Japan's premier formula car racing series, the Japanese Super Formula Championship, in 2024, with Team Mugen, with whom he continues to race for this season after finishing P5 last term.

Though his sights are firmly set on F1 for the fast-approaching FP1 session, Iwasa's upcoming appearance at the Bahrain GP with Red Bull will be a taste of what's to come for the rising star thanks to a rule change for this year which encourages teams to increase the opportunities they offer for rookie drivers to take part in F1 practice sessions.

Previously, each F1 team was required to field a rookie driver who had competed in two or fewer F1 sessions in each of their cars on two mandatory occasions. This year, however, the requirement has been upped so that F1 outfits will have to give up each of their seats twice, providing four separate occasions for a rookie to compete in a grand prix practice session across the season.

Statements of confidence ahead of Ayumu Iwasa Red Bull debut

Whilst Iwasa has made appearances with the junior outfit in the past, this weekend marks his debut driving Red Bull's F1 machinery.

Ahead of the milestone, the Japanese star posted on social media to reveal his excitement over the opportunity.

His post read: "I'll drive for @redbullracing in FP1 of #BahrainGP.

"I'm very looking forward to getting some new experience in the car!"

READ MORE: F1 Free Practice Today: Bahrain Grand Prix start times, schedule and how to watch live on TV

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