Important news continues to arrive from the paddock of the Sakhir circuit, where the fourth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season is set to begin. Just a few minutes ago, Red Bull officially announced that, in the early stages of the Bahrain weekend, Ayumu Iwasa will take to the track in place of Max Verstappen. Alongside Yuki Tsunoda, they will form an all-Japanese line-up.
The Circus doesn’t stop. After the Japanese Grand Prix, it’s back to Bahrain, which already hosted the pre-season tests. On paper, therefore, based on what was seen at the end of February, the competitive order should not undergo major changes. McLaren leads with a good margin over the chasers, Ferrari and Red Bull follow a few tenths behind, and Mercedes is slightly further back.
But, as we’ve seen, making predictions remains extremely difficult. The inconsistency of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen’s talent, and the updates Ferrari is expected to bring make this weekend still completely open. There will be many new elements, starting with the first free practice sessions on Friday afternoon.
In fact, since the 20 main drivers have already run for a full 24 hours on this track a few months ago and most of the necessary data has already been collected, the teams have decided to change their line-ups. No fewer than six teams will put their young drivers on track during FP1: Ferrari, Haas, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Williams, and, lastly, Red Bull.
The news has just come from Milton Keynes that four-time world champion Max Verstappen will give up his seat to Ayumu Iwasa, who will make his debut with the official Red Bull team. The Osaka-born driver had the opportunity to drive only for Racing Bulls in the free practice sessions at Suzuka and Abu Dhabi last year.
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