Christian Horner: 'Filming day' not a shootout between Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson

Officially described as a "filming day" for content purposes, the test has garnered significant attention amid speculation about the drivers' futures.

Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, has sought to downplay the rumours, insisting the event is merely a routine filming day.

"It's a filming day, so they'll be filming. It's all about content," Horner said.

"It is in the current car, because you can do 200 km in the current car. So they'll both be doing plenty of filming."

Despite Horner's assurances, the test has been unofficially dubbed a 'shootout' to determine which driver could potentially replace Sergio Perez for the remainder of the 2024 F1 season.

Perez's recent form has been a cause for concern within the team. The Mexican driver has scored only 28 points in the last eight races, a performance that has jeopardised Red Bull's dominance in the F1 constructors' championship.

This dip in form has led to increasing speculation about his future with the team.

The upcoming test at Imola is therefore seen as a critical moment for both Ricciardo and Lawson.

Ricciardo, a seasoned driver with prior experience at Red Bull, and Lawson, a promising young talent, will both be eager to impress the team and stake their claim for a spot in the main driver lineup.

"I think he's done alright," Horner said when asked about Ricciardo.

"I haven't looked at the race, I only saw the end result that he was 11th [10th after Russell's DSQ], and starting on the soft tire, he's obviously driven a good race."