Liam Lawson is gearing up for his first race with Red Bull after pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The Kiwi driver is the latest driver to go up against Max Verstappen. The second Red Bull has become a poison chalice with the likes of Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez struggling against the Dutchman and ultimately being dropped.
Lawson is hoping to not be the next – but pre-season testing left something to be desired not just from him but the team in general.
Surprisingly, Red Bull completed the fewest laps over the three days in Bahrain. Only Lance Stroll ran fewer individual laps than Verstappen and Lawson.
The latter suffered a spin on day one which Christian Horner said was caused by a gust of wind as he entered turn two and lost the back end. However, Red Bull will hate Lawson’s spin as their rivals could see how their airflow works on the sidepod.
However, there was one ‘hugely impressive’ thing Peter Windsor noticed from the 23-year-old at the Sakhir International Circuit.
Peter Windsor impressed by Liam Lawson watching cars go past on the circuit in Bahrain
Lawson has consistently reiterated that Verstappen is the best teammate to learn from in F1 ahead of his debut for Red Bull.
It seems the Kiwi driver is putting that into practice as he was seen watching the Dutchman and the other cars go past on the side of the track.
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Windsor felt this was great to see from Lawson and stressed that the other young drivers should be looking to do the same.
He said via his YouTube channel: “I didn’t actually see that but thanks for pointing it out. I’m not surprised, Liam Lawson, he’s a good bloke and he’s just a racer and he’s very car controlly and just wants to get out there like Jack Doohan really.
“For me, the young guys, when they’re out of the car, not to be out on the circuit watching what’s going on and watching other drivers is just criminally stupid actually, not to be doing that because there’s your opportunity.
“Yes, there are going to be moments where you need to be there listening to the radio. You don’t have to listen to the other guys’ radio for half the day though for Pete’s sake or even a full day. Get out there and watch what’s going on, you can learn from everything.
“For Liam to be there watching what Max is doing, I guess is a hugely impressive thing. He’s a wide turn-in, late braker like most of these young guys.”
Where Karun Chandhok has told Liam Lawson to be compared to Max Verstappen in 2025
Red Bull will hope they can improve on their third-place finish in the constructors’ championship in 2024. Perez’s poor results ultimately cost the team as Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive title.
Lawson will not be expected to beat the Dutchman but he will be asked to keep close to him and perform better than his predecessor. But Guenther Steiner says Lawson will face a difficult season as even if he performs ‘super good’, he still has a lot to learn.
Karun Chandhok says Lawson must finish second if Verstappen wins the 2025 title. That in itself is huge pressure for the Kiwi driver – especially considering Red Bull no longer have the fastest car.
The RB21’s pace in Bahrain was hard to judge as the car appeared difficult to drive in some areas. One rival team member joked about Lawson’s performance, stating the car looked a ‘world-beater’ with Verstappen but fourth-fastest with his teammate.
This may seem ‘harsh’ but there are some concerns surrounding the 23-year-old. Chandhok is worried Lawson will be ‘burnt out’ like his predecessors at Red Bull when 2025 is a learning year.
