Liam Lawson was eighth fastest in his first official test session as a Red Bull driver. He was around 1.1 seconds off the pace set by McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Lawson was the first to drive the Red Bull RB21 on Wednesday morning, logging 58 laps. Max Verstappen took over in the afternoon session.
A power cut caused delays, but the session was extended by an hour to compensate. World champion Verstappen ended up third fastest, within three-tenths of Norris’ benchmark.
The nine-tenth gap between Verstappen and Lawson looks significant, but the newcomer shouldn’t be judged until he has a chance to run with the same configuration in the same track conditions. Sergio Perez provides a reference point after four seasons at Milton Keynes.
Perez, who collapsed following a strong start, finished 285 points adrift of his teammate last season. That saw him lose his seat even though he’d signed a new contract.
The Mexican arguably cost his team the constructors’ championship, but Red Bull may not expect Lawson to deliver the title. Given the superior experience of the McLaren and Ferrari line-ups, it could be too much to ask.
Jolyon Palmer says Red Bull run plan has put Liam Lawson in a ‘daunting’ position
Lawson’s winter concludes on Thursday evening. Red Bull split the programme on day one, but they’ve reserved the final eight hours for Verstappen.
Ted Kravitz says this is the Dutchman’s preferred arrangement. The car will be as refined as possible, aiding his preparations for the season opener in Australia.
Jolyon Palmer fears that Christian Horner has put significant pressure on Lawson with this schedule. He only has 11 races of experience, with some still considering him a rookie.
Red Bull would point out that both drivers have received a day and a half of track time. And perhaps it’s only natural to favour Verstappen given that his title hopes are inherently stronger.
Kravitz said: “Max Verstappen always likes to have the last day of running, because that’s when you can be sure the car is going to be exactly the same, or near exactly the same spec, as it’s going to be in Melbourne.”
And Palmer replied: “I wonder, it must be such a daunting prospect for it to be your last day on day two for what is essentially a rookie driver. It can’t be optimum to not have another night’s sleep and another chance to come back at it. But obviously Red Bull just favouring Max.”
Christian Horner reacts to Liam Lawson’s spin during F1 testing
There were few mishaps, lighting aside, on day one. The cars are grippier and more reliable than ever in the final year of the ground-effect ruleset.
Lawson was involved in one of the only dramatic moments as he spun at turn three. He’d earlier indicated that he was experiencing oversteer.
Sam Collins says Red Bull will ‘hate’ Lawson’s spin because it gave rival teams a chance to screengrab detailed images of their car. Teams are at their most secretive during pre-season testing.
Horner says a ‘gust of wind’ caught Lawson out, which seems a reasonable explanation. Multiple drivers had moments in that part of the circuit, including Lewis Hamilton at turn four.
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