Max Verstappen set to miss first practice at Mexico City GP

Max Verstappen is due to sit out the first free practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Arvid Lindblad taking his place.

It will be the second time the British-Swedish driver has deputised in an FP1 session, after taking over Yuki Tsunoda's RB21 for the opening hour of the British Grand Prix weekend.

All teams are mandated to field a rookie in FP1 four times over the season, with that obligation split equally over each car.

Verstappen missed FP1 at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Red Bull junior and Super Formula driver Ayuma Iwasa stepping in on that occasion. 

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko confirmed to media at the United States Grand Prix, including RacingNews365, that Lindblad will be behind the wheel of an RB21 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The Austrian did not specify who the 19-year-old would replace, but it is reportedly the four-time F1 drivers' champion sitting out the hour.

Despite being in just his debut campaign in F2, Lindblad has widely impressed at Red Bull throughout his junior career and is in contention for one of the two full-time seats at Racing Bulls next season, in a direct fight with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.

It has been suggested in some quarters that it has already been decided that Lindblad will make the step up, with Lawson sidelined, but Red Bull has confirmed no final call will be made until after the Mexico City Grand Prix.