Outside Line: Did Lawson forget how to drive a F1 car suddenly?
F1 NewsWednesday, 26 March 2025 at 15:03
In his comprehensive piece on the Red Bull Formula 1 junior driver programme, Jad Mallak asks and answers the question: "Did Liam Lawson forget how to drive suddenly? I don’t think so."
My answer is I
DO think so! But what do I know? I consider myself an 'expert' in two fields photography and the media side of Formula 1. If you did not know me and searched this site "Velasco+Lawson" you would gauge my overly positive expectations of the Kiwi thurst into the Lion's Den aka Team Verstappen aka Red Bull. How wrong I was!
After Sergio Perez's woeful final season with the team, Red Bull needed a solid number two driver to replace the Mexican veteran. They snubbed Yuki Tsunoda and instead took the data from 11 GPs by Lawson and decided he would be the guy. I thought it a good idea. And the right guy for the job.
Oh boy, he wasn't. He had a no-show in Australia and then China the same thing. Lawson made me look the fool. I got it so wrong it seems. As I did with my expectations of Nyck de Vries when he found his way into F1 finally, with AlphaTauri. But that story has been told.
Why? How did the form of these guys fly out the window like that? Perez deteriorated before our eyes last year. At McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo's form disappeared never to return. Has the same happened to Lawson at Red Bull, so suddenly?
In our GP247 WhatsApp chat there are many theories, some convincing others not so. Thus I decided to seek the answer at Driver61 YouTube channel of Scott Mansell, my go-to guru on drivers, how they think and how they drive. He so happens to have done a video after Lawson's China crisis on what he suggests the problem is driving that 'cursed' second Red Bull.
So what’s going on?
This is what Scott, aka Driver61, had to say: "As an ex-racing driver and coach, I wanted to break down what Liam’s going through and look at his driving style to see why his performance isn’t where he wants it to be—and why Max Verstappen seems like the only person who can drive it.
"Two races into his Red Bull career, and he already looks like he’s fighting for his Formula 1 future. Across the three qualifying sessions we’ve had so far, Liam has qualified 18th, 20th, and 20th, while Max has been 3rd, 2nd, and 4th. So what’s going on? Why is a driver who won in DTM, Super Formula, and scored points at Racing Bulls unable to perform well?
"This is what Liam said in an interview with Sky Sports F1:
“To drive a Formula 1 car, it takes 100% confidence in what you’re doing.
And it’s not that I don’t feel confident, but the window is so small that right now I just seem to miss it. It’s that that I just need to get a handle on.”
"So what exactly does Lawson mean when he says the car has a “small window”? He’s talking about how friendly the car is to drive—or rather, how unfriendly it is in this case. It looks like it needs absolute precision in every corner when driving quickly. It’s a delicate balance of braking, releasing the brake, turning into the corner, and getting back on the throttle. And if any of these are slightly wrong in the RB21, it seems to punish you immediately.
"Most cars give drivers some wiggle room. A fraction too much speed, or a slightly late turn-in, might cost you a tenth—but the car is still predictable and you’ll get away with it. It’s just more friendly on the limit. But the RB21 seems to offer only two options: perfect or disaster, with very little middle ground.
"The car won’t be easy for anyone to drive—but Verstappen still does very well. He’s obviously very talented, and he’s got many more years of experience in what seems like an edgy car, so he can nail that precision consistently.
"But for Lawson and others, we’re seeing the consequences of a car that offers very little forgiveness. So when Lawson steps outside that narrow band—that very small window—the mistakes are amplified: running wide in corners, getting sudden oversteer, or just struggling on the brakes. And with each of his errors, his confidence will be eroding, as we’ve seen with other drivers at Red Bull.
What makes the Red Bull car so challenging for anyone not named Max Verstappen?
Alex Albon: “Max has quite a unique driving style actually—it’s not that easy to get along with.”
Driver61 continued: "Alex, another very fast driver who struggled against Max and with the Red Bull. You’ve probably seen his interview on the High Performance Podcast, where he goes on to say that the car isn’t in fact built around Max—but it is difficult to drive:
“I like a car that has a good front end—so quite sharp, quite direct. Max does too. His level of sharp and direct is kind of another... it’s a whole different level. To give people kind of an explanation: if you bump up the sensitivity completely to the max and you move that mouse, and it’s just darting across the screen everywhere—that’s kind of how it feels. It becomes so sharp that it makes you a little bit tense.”
"So, a sharp Red Bull with a small operating window isn’t a new issue. It’s been a characteristic of Red Bull cars for years. And the RB21, just like the older Red Bulls, is built around a positive front end. This means the car will turn in very aggressively when you steer—causing the rear to rotate quickly behind it. Max seems to like this balance because it lets him place the car exactly where he wants.
"It’s the opposite of having a lazy car that doesn’t turn in well, but has a stable rear and is therefore easier to drive. or most drivers—including Lawson—this same characteristic feels like trying to balance on a knife edge.
"If you turn in too sharply with too much speed or come off the brake slightly wrong, the car won’t be perfectly balanced. You’ll slide and lose time. This is the core reason we’ve seen so many Red Bull second drivers struggle—it’s just a difficult car to drive," explained Driver61.
Driver61: Lawson had a pretty distinctive style that served him very well
Regarding Lawson specifically, and why he cannot come to grips with the car in the way Verstappen can, Driver61 elaborated: "If you watch footage from his junior career, Lawson had a pretty distinctive style that served him very well. He used more of a “V-style” racing line—braking late into corners, pivoting the car sharply in the middle with a lower minimum speed, then getting on the power early on exit.
"But a racing line is always a bit of a blend—it’s not 100% V-shaped or 100% geometric. Drivers are always adapting depending on the corner, the tyre state, or how the car likes to be driven. And for sure, Lawson will be able to adapt his technique. He is a very quick driver—he’s won races in F3, F2, DTM and Super Formula. These are very different cars, and there’s a significant difference in driving technique.
"But if you watch onboards from those cars, you’ll see they have a bigger window. The car can slide around a bit more and you can still be quick. You don’t need to be as precise on the pedals or the steering wheel. They’re just friendlier cars to drive.
"The Red Bull RB21 demands something different. It’s not just about changing racing line—it’s about being absolutely precise through every phase of every single corner.
"Looking at Lawson’s laps in China and Australia, we can see moments where the car suddenly breaks away from him. And this isn’t because he can’t drive—it’s because that narrow operating window punishes even minor imprecision," said Driver61.
Tsunoda-Lawson swap set to happen according to credible reports
Lawson is reportedly on the brink of being demoted back to Racing Bulls alongside rookie Isack Hadjar, as Yuki Tsunoda is set to be promoted to be Verstappen's next 'victim' as of the next round in Japan.
If Lawson does not get the boot, what is the solution for the Kiwi. Driver61 ventures: "One is to drive a fair bit under the limit and hopefully not go through the window where the car slides unpredictably and mistakes come. But the problem with that is—it’s just slow.
"The other way, which is what he’s doing now, is to push as hard as he can and drive on the limit—but risk making mistakes. And really, a driver’s instinct is always to push. Especially when you’re comparing yourself to Max.
"So I think Liam will be focused on refining his technique—driving the car right on the limit through braking, turning, and acceleration while staying within that very tight window, rather than being more conservative. Of course, that’s if he gets the chance," he added alluding to the RBR driver swap.
Then of course there is the mighty Verstappen factor: "When you’re stepping into that second Red Bull seat, you’re not just facing a difficult car—you’re facing Max, who’s been with the team since 2016. This is his ninth season at Red Bull.
Driver61: What’s remarkable about Max isn’t just his raw talent - it’s his precision.
"People often mischaracterise him as being an aggressive driver, which he can be in wheel-to-wheel battles. But his actual driving technique is incredibly refined and delicate," points out Driver61. "It’s sometimes difficult to tell with the onboards—but the subtlety in his steering inputs, throttle application, and braking technique is extraordinary.
"Max has spent years perfecting his approach to these twitchy, nervous Red Bull cars. He’s developed a feel for exactly where that narrow performance window is—and he can consistently hit it, lap after lap. And experience is one of the key things here."
As for Lawson, a final word from Driver61: "He’s proven himself across multiple racing categories. He can clearly adapt his driving style to different machinery. And Red Bull obviously know his capability. They’ve seen his telemetry, they understand his potential—that’s why they gave him the seat in the first place.
"But that small operating window is showing the same issues we’ve seen with the other second drivers. And I don’t think two races is enough time to master such a challenging car. hile the pressure is undoubtedly mounting, writing him off after just Melbourne and Shanghai would be a bit premature. He does need more time."
This week will tell if Lawson is to be given enough time to watch Driver61's analysis of his shortcomings, as the 'vultures' are circling with talk of Tsunoda's #22 being printed in red for the Red Bull RB21 car he will reportedly drive at Suzuka.
Someone, please send Yuki this link: Scott Mansell aka Driver61 explaining how he can try to keep up with Max if and when Lawson gets shafted this week.
Did Liam Lawson forget how to drive a Formula 1 car suddenly?
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