Liam Lawson will take on one of the hardest jobs in Formula 1 when he partners Max Verstappen at Red Bull this season.
The 21-year-old takes over from Sergio Perez after a dramatic downturn in form from the Mexican, after Red Bull terminated his contract at the end of 2024.
Max Verstappen comes into this season as the reigning Drivers’ Champion and is hoping to win his fifth consecutive title, but faces a tough challenge against pacesetters McLaren.
Lawson will have his work cut out as one of F1’s rookies this year, as Red Bull will be expecting him to challenge for podiums from the first race in Melbourne. Nico Rosberg thinks Lawson will be one of the biggest surprises of the season, given he showed just how capable he was going up against Fernando Alonso and Perez.
Discussing his first season with Red Bull, Lawson believes he needs to copy one thing from Max Verstappen to have any impact with the team this year when speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast.
Liam Lawson wants to copy Max Verstappen’s ability to be quick ‘out of the box’
Verstappen stood out in pre-season testing at Bahrain when he emerged from the pits in the RB21 and instantly looked at home and on the pace, with the Dutchman getting close to the fastest laps of the McLarens and Mercedes drivers.
The RB21 has proven to be another tough car to drive, with Verstappen visibly frustrated after some runs due to the amount of understeer it can sometimes generate.
Lawson believes he needs to copy one of Verstappen’s traits if he wants to be successful in the long run at Red Bull.
“There is a part of driving an F1 that is not just as simple as doing what is said on a graph and this is how you drive it and what you do, obviously we’re studying these small details to put a lap together. But there is a part of driving an F1 car that is adapting, corner to corner, lap to lap, and a huge part of it that is what you’re feeling. There is a lot of different sensations from lap to lap,” said Lawson.
“I think that is why when you get big changes when it’s wet or mixed conditions. Even lap one of a session, if you watch a free practice session, normally he’ll [Verstappen] go out and be quickest out the box regardless of how the session ends, it’s just that adapting and feeling, and confidence that he has to throw a car into a corner and feel what it’s going to do. It’s just adapting what he’s very good at.”
Liam Lawson warned by Alex Albon over Max Verstappen car trait
Lawson will be Verstappen’s fifth teammate since the Dutchman joined the team in 2016, and so far only Daniel Ricciardo has managed to beat him.
Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were both relegated to the Red Bull sister team, while Ricciardo left on his own terms.
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Albon has warned Lawson about the ‘eye-wateringly sharp’ car that Verstappen likes to have, which the Thai-British driver believes is the main reason why a lot of teammates struggle to match him.
Lawson is somewhat closer to Verstappen’s driving style than his previous teammates, but he will need to ensure that he is comfortable from the first race if he stands a chance of giving the Dutchman anything to think about this season.
