Update | Verstappen will not be in action during FP1 in Abu Dhabi

Max Verstappen is likely to be on the sidelines during the first free practice session in Abu Dhabi. Red Bull Racing announced on Thursday that Red Bull junior talent Liam Lawson will drive during practice. It makes sense that Verstappen will then have to relinquish his car.

Red Bull has yet to comply with the 'rookie rule' in Abu Dhabi. Each team must have a rookie driver drive a practice session at least twice this season. A rookie driver must not have driven more than two Grand Prix. At this point, Red Bull has only done so once: in Barcelona, Juri Vips took a seat in Sergio Perez's car.

Now no Vips on the track but Lawson

So this time it is likely to be Verstappen's turn. Vips has since fallen into disfavour with Red Bull after making racist remarks during a stream on Twitch. His replacement as a regular reserve driver at Red Bull is Lawson, a New Zealand driver who competes in Formula 2 for the Carlin team. Earlier this season, Lawson drove a practice session for AlphaTauri in Belgium. That did not go great then: the car caught fire and Lawson had to end his session early.

In Formula 2, Lawson is currently seventh. Abu Dhabi is also the last race of the season in that competition. A total of 39 points remain to be awarded, which theoretically means Lawson could even finish second in the competition. Lawson is experiencing a good season, including three sprint wins. His link with Red Bull makes him a good candidate to return to Formula 1 in the future.

Update | Verstappen will not be in action in FP1

Several media outlets, including De Telegraaf, are now reporting that Verstappen will indeed not be in action during the first free practice session in Abu Dhabi. Liam Lawson will take the wheel of the RB18 from the Dutchman, as Perez has already had to give up his seat once this season.