In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, Red Bull’s racer Liam Lawson is grappling with a harsh reality: he is significantly slower than his teammate, Max Verstappen. What’s commendable is that the rookie racer has not shied away from assuming the responsibility for his underperformance and has shown a clear understanding of the urgency to improve.
Lawson’s recent performance at the Chinese Grand Prix has been a stark illustration of his struggle. Despite being given three opportunities to clock a competitive time, Lawson still trailed Verstappen by a massive three quarters of a second, leading to him starting last in the sprint race. This dismal performance comes on the heels of a lackluster debut in Australia, leading to increasing pressure for the rookie.
A deep dive into Lawson’s qualifying laps reveals a series of missteps: overcaution in some instances, imprecision in others. His initial run was aborted due to a minor slip-up at the hairpin after encountering a yellow flag for a spun Alpine car. His second run, despite being on fresh tyres, was marked by several errors, including a big slide into the first corner, and a wide exit at Turn 9. These mishaps cumulatively cost him valuable seconds, further widening his gap with Verstappen.
However, Lawson’s struggles can’t be pinned solely on these isolated events. A closer look reveals a broader pattern of cautious driving and inconsistency. For instance, he was unusually cautious at the first corner, resulting in an unexpected 30km/h speed difference in the first phase, costing him a quarter of a second against Verstappen. This cautious approach was echoed in Turn 3, where he lost another tenth of a second.
Lawson’s struggle to get a grip on the Red Bull car seems to have been exacerbated during the Chinese Grand Prix. The RB21 car, not much of an improvement on its predecessor, seems to be a challenge even for seasoned drivers like Verstappen. For a rookie like Lawson, the task of mastering it is proving to be an uphill battle.
Lawson’s circumstances are not without their complexities. His entry into F1 is marked by Red Bull’s own driver missteps and his relative inexperience in the sport. In addition, he had never driven in Melbourne or Shanghai prior to his debut, increasing the steepness of his learning curve.
Yet, these realities do not absolve Lawson from his duty to perform. He himself is aware that time, while an invaluable asset, is not a luxury he can afford. Finding the elusive ‘feeling’ and ‘confidence’ in this high-pressure, fast-paced environment is an immense challenge.
To his credit, Lawson is not one to look for easy outs. He acknowledges his shortcomings and the need to improve. The path to rectification, however, is far from straightforward. Despite Red Bull’s previous praise for Lawson’s mental resilience and potential, he now finds himself in a race against time to catch up.
The silver lining in this situation is that Lawson’s performance gaps are glaringly clear, suggesting that there are significant potential improvements to be made. Whether these improvements come from familiarizing himself with the track, optimizing the car, or simply improving his own driving, remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that Lawson is in an environment where such a large performance deficit is untenable. A continued lack of improvement could have severe consequences for his career. Only time will tell if the rookie racer can rise to the challenge and turn his fortunes around.
