Max Verstappen heads to the 2026 Italian Grand Prix looking for redemption after a bitter end to his home race at Zandvoort, while admitting it is difficult to predict how competitive Red Bull will be at Monza. The four-time world champion will also sit out Friday morning’s opening practice session, with Ayumu Iwasa taking over his RB22 as part of Formula 1’s mandatory rookie FP1 programme.
Zandvoort proved particularly painful for Max Verstappen, who spun into the barriers before completing the opening lap following an uncharacteristic mistake. Monza therefore offers an immediate opportunity to respond, although the Dutchman will have less track time than usual to prepare for one of Formula 1’s fastest and most distinctive circuits.
Max Verstappen looks for Monza response after Zandvoort disappointment
“Not being able to finish the race in Zandvoort was disappointing, but it was still really special to see the fans at the circuit one last time and thank them for all the memories. We are heading to Monza now and it is difficult to predict how competitive we will be there,” Max Verstappen said.
Red Bull has struggled to consistently extract the performance Verstappen wants from the RB22, with new weaknesses in the Red Bull RB22 making the competitive picture particularly difficult to predict from one circuit to another.
“There are a few things we need to work on to be a bit closer on race pace and to make sure the balance of the car is right. Monza is one of my favourite tracks and I like that it is an old-school, fast circuit; I always enjoy coming here and seeing the passionate fans. It is a track where we have typically performed well in the past, so we will wait and see what is possible.”
Ayumu Iwasa replaces Max Verstappen in Monza FP1
Verstappen will not drive during Friday morning’s first practice session. Red Bull will instead hand the car to Ayumu Iwasa as the team fulfils its obligation to provide rookie drivers with FP1 running during the season.
The change means Max Verstappen will begin his own Italian Grand Prix track programme in FP2, giving him less time to fine-tune the RB22 around Monza’s low-downforce layout before qualifying and the race.
Liam Lawson replaces injured Isack Hadjar again at Red Bull
Red Bull’s driver changes extend beyond Friday morning. Isack Hadjar remains sidelined by his left wrist injury and will once again be replaced by Liam Lawson, who also drove alongside Verstappen at Zandvoort.
“It’s good to hear Isack is recovering well and will be back in the car soon, but it’s great to have another weekend with the team,” Liam Lawson said. “Zandvoort gave me a really useful first reference with the car, and having a full Sprint weekend behind me means I’m coming into Monza with a much better understanding of the car.”
“It’s a completely different track and there will be new challenges, but I’m looking forward to building on the Dutch weekend.”
Lawson’s Zandvoort outing gave him valuable experience with a car that has proved difficult to master even for Verstappen. The New Zealander will now have another opportunity to strengthen his understanding of the RB22 across a full race weekend at the Temple of Speed.
Lawson faces first real Verstappen comparison since 2025 demotion
Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix will also provide the first genuine race-weekend comparison between Lawson and Max Verstappen since the New Zealander’s difficult two-race spell with Red Bull at the beginning of 2025.
Those two Grands Prix ultimately resulted in Lawson being moved back to Racing Bulls. His return to the senior team in 2026 has come in very different circumstances, as an injury substitute for Hadjar, but Monza gives him another chance to measure himself against Max Verstappen while building on the experience gained at Zandvoort.
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