Liam Lawson said the VCARB 02 does feel “different” compared to the Red Bull RB21 after his return to Racing Bulls.

However, he adds “it’s maybe not what everyone expects” as he looks to rebuild his Formula 1 career after a harrowing experience at Red Bull.

Red Bull vs Racing Bulls car difference: ‘Not what everyone expects’

After failing to score a point or escape Q1 in his two race weekends with Red Bull, the team made the call to send Lawson back to its Racing Bulls sister team and promote Tsunoda in a straight swap in time for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Unlike the Albert Park and Shanghai circuits visited with Red Bull, Suzuka is a venue Lawson knows well, having raced here in Super Formula and with the Red Bull F1 junior team in 2023.

Lawson and Racing Bulls team-mate Isack Hadjar were two of the few drivers to set a representative lap time in a red flag-filled FP2 session, the New Zealander just four hundredths down on his rookie team-mate Hadjar.

“It was a good day,” Lawson reflected. “Nice to be driving, nice to be driving at Suzuka again. It’s a very cool track.

“With the resurfacing, Sector 1, it’s even faster now. So it just feels like it’s tearing your head off, which is quite exciting.

“But yeah, all in all, a good day. Obviously, tomorrow is the more important one.”

By returning to Racing Bulls, the theory was that Lawson could get behind the wheel of an easier car to drive compared to Red Bull’s RB21, that car the subject of an emergency meeting called by Red Bull between the China and Japan rounds.

So, Lawson was asked how the VCARB 02 felt in comparison to the RB21 which he was previously driving.

“It felt good. It does feel different, definitely,” he replied. “I think it’s maybe not what everyone expects, but it is definitely a different, you know, feeling to drive.

“I think the windows that the guys have at the moment is very, very good, and the car has been fast so far this season, so hopefully, we can replicate that tomorrow as well.”

Lawson had previously contested 11 grands prix with the Red Bull second team across two stints ahead of getting the senior team call-up, and upon returning, Lawson has been welcomed back with open arms.

“Yeah, it’s been nice,” he said.

“Everybody’s been very, very positive. Even from from last week, Laurent [Mekies, team principal] was straight on the phone, and, you know, very, very positive and saying all the things I needed to hear going to see everyone at the factory, and obviously yesterday, coming to the paddock as well.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with this team. They are a great bunch of people. And it is nice to feel that welcome back again. So hopefully we can go and have some good races together.”

Latest on Red Bull at Japanese GP

👉 Hometown disappointment for Tsunoda? Six bold Japanese GP predictions

👉 Red Bull confirm Suzuka upgrades amid Marko’s ‘too late’ McLaren warning

And Racing Bulls will look to nurse Lawson back to form by reinstalling the 23-year-old’s confidence.

“I’m not going to tell you that he was happy about the news last week, because certainly it was difficult to digest,” Mekies said of Lawson.

“But honestly, the next day, he was with us in Faenza doing the seat fit, the day after, he was back in the sim, and then here we are, we are in Japan.

“So he’s in good spirits. He knows he has an important role to play with us in the battle we have in the midfield. He knows he has a point to prove out there.

“So, we are all very conscious that his talent is there and it’s about finding the right conditions to extract it back out of him.

“With high confidence, we think that his talent did not disappear and we start back these adventures where we left it last year.”

Read next: Verstappen delivers first Tsunoda verdict after opening RB21 stint