Liam Lawson had a very different experience returning to Red Bull Racing at the Formula 1 Dutch GP. After struggling in his first stint with the team, the New Zealander was able to closely match Max Verstappen’s pace and finished the race in Zandvoort in seventh place.
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The difference caught attention because his first promotion to the main team, at the beginning of 2025, lasted only two races before he was sent back to Racing Bulls. This time, replacing the injured Isack Hadjar, Lawson found a car he considered much more manageable, although still demanding to be pushed to the limit.
According to Lawson, part of the previous difficulties was related to lack of experience on the circuits and the complicated behavior of the car: “The main problem last year was that there were two tracks I had never been to. Also, I was trying to learn a car that was already very difficult to drive,” he said.
The driver also highlighted that, in 2025, he had to quickly adapt to the characteristics of the car used by Verstappen. Pedals, steering, and other elements were different from his reference, while he expected to have more time to get used to it. In Zandvoort, the priority was to make the car as close as possible to his usual setup.
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The change in the characteristics of the single-seater became even more evident when Lawson compared the margin available to the driver: “Last year, the car was on a very narrow limit, at least at the beginning, and if you were not on that limit, it cost a lot of lap time,” he added.
For 2026, Lawson assesses that the scenario is more complex, with several factors influencing the construction of a fast lap: “This year there are many more factors involved,” said the New Zealander, adding that having more time with the car and with the current regulation cycle helps with adaptation. He also highlighted that using the same power unit contributes to this process.
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