Four rookie drivers will have the opportunity to participate in the TL1 session of the Italian Grand Prix in Formula 1 this Friday in Monza. Red Bull, Williams, Alpine, and Cadillac will use the session to fulfill part of the obligations outlined by the regulations for 2026.
Under the current rules, each team must field a driver considered a rookie, with a maximum of two starts in Grand Prix races, in four TL1 sessions throughout the season, with two appearances per car. Monza was chosen by four teams to advance in this schedule.
At Red Bull, Ayumu Iwasa will take the wheel of Max Verstappen’s RB22. The Japanese driver already has seven TL1 appearances since 2024, split between Red Bull and Racing Bulls, and will again rack up mileage in a car from the factory team.
The Williams lineup will see Luke Browning step in for Alex Albon. A member of the team’s academy, the British driver has already taken part in six TL1 sessions previously. In Alpine, Paul Aron will replace Pierre Gasly in the A526, after recording eight TL1 appearances in 2025, split between Audi and Alpine.
Meanwhile, Cadillac will field Colton Herta in Sergio Pérez’s car. The American, known for his IndyCar career, will make his third TL1 appearance of the 2026 season, after debuting in this format in Barcelona at the start of the year.
