Liam Lawson, a promising rookie with Red Bull Racing, faced a challenging start to his maiden grand prix weekend at the Australian GP. During Friday’s second practice session, Lawson ended up 17th fastest, trailing his teammate Max Verstappen by over half a second on the same soft tire compound. The young driver expressed his disappointment, describing his performance as “comfortable, just too slow,” acknowledging the team’s need for significant improvements overnight.
Earlier in FP1, Lawson had also struggled, finishing 16th fastest while Verstappen secured the fifth spot, showcasing a considerable performance gap of over seven tenths of a second. Both drivers grappled with a lack of grip rather than balance, despite the team’s efforts to enhance the RB21 with a new floor upgrade. The car seemed to struggle in activating all four tires, especially in the first and final sectors of the track.
Christian Horner, the team principal at Red Bull, highlighted Lawson’s limited track experience, as the young driver’s prior time in F2 occurred before the championship’s inclusion in the Australian GP support program in 2023. In contrast, the team’s other rookie, Isack Hadjar, who had raced at the circuit in F2 in ’23 and ’24, managed to secure the sixth fastest time in FP2, just two tenths behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Horner, acknowledging the challenges of being Max Verstappen’s teammate, praised Lawson’s mental fortitude and character, recognizing the demanding nature of the role. Despite Lawson’s lack of prior experience at the track, Horner expressed confidence in the driver’s ability to adapt and provide valuable feedback, emphasizing the importance of giving him time to acclimate to the team and the car over the next few races.
One of the primary concerns for Lawson and the Red Bull team is the elusive nature of the reasons behind his performance deficit. The gap between Lawson and Verstappen could have been more significant if the latter had managed to secure a clear lap during his qualifying simulations. Lawson expressed uncertainty about the root cause of the issues, suggesting that if they knew the problem, they could work towards resolving it effectively.
Verstappen echoed Lawson’s sentiments, indicating that while there were no major balance issues, the grip required to push the car to its limits was lacking. This shortfall in performance left both drivers feeling that they were not competitive enough at the current moment, urging the team to delve deeper into finding solutions to optimize the car’s performance.
As the Australian GP weekend unfolds, the focus for Red Bull Racing will be on analyzing data, fine-tuning the setup, and providing Lawson with the support and resources needed to bridge the performance gap. With Horner’s guidance and the team’s collective expertise, there is optimism that Lawson will gradually find his rhythm and showcase his full potential in the races to come.
