Rookie Red Bull driver Liam Lawson wasn’t able to get out on track during FP3 of the Australian Grand Prix weekend. A power unit issue plagued the car, forcing the Kiwi to sit out the session while team-mate Max Verstappen established a strong pace.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has confirmed to ORF that the power unit issue specifically stems from the turbo. Now, it’s a race against the clock to get Lawson’s RB21 ready for qualifying.
“We know the cause, and it’s actually almost fixed,” the Austrian confirmed.
The driver was hoping for a better day today in Melbourne after struggling yesterday, finishing FP2 in a disappointing 17th on the timesheet, over half a second slower than the reigning champion. Today, scrutiny surrounds the driver.
“It’s going to be incredibly close. I believe at the front, it will come down to mere hundredths of a second,” Marko said about how close the top of the grid will be later today. “But if you add up the best sector times, then Lando Norris has almost a tenth of a second advantage. The rest, however, are separated by just hundredths.”
Losing out on mileage today starts Lawson off on the back foot. Fortunately for him, Verstappen’s pace was strong, with him finishing FP3 third on the timesheet establishing an example of success in setup.
“For Lawson, though, it’s extremely difficult because he hasn’t been able to test the changes we made to the car,” Marko continued. “He’ll have to rely entirely on Max’s setup.”
Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Lawson’s main concern this weekend will be learning from the Dutchman while keeping it on the track. His lack of experience in Melbourne will be a worry for the Milton Keynes outfit, as well as the underlying lack of grip both drivers have been complaining about.
Following his poor Friday performance, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner came to his defence.
“Being Max’s team-mate is probably the toughest job in Formula 1. But he’s got the mental aptitude and strength of character to deal with that,” he told Sky Sports F1. “He’s not been here before, I think he’s the only driver on the grid that hasn’t done some laps around this circuit. But he’s finding his feet and giving some very good feedback, he’s settling in nicely. We’ll see over the next few races.”
