“Hats off” to Liam Lawson: Max Verstappen has to sweat in Zandvoort

– Even Liam Lawson probably did not necessarily expect this: On his return to the Red Bull cockpit, the New Zealander immediately impressed in Zandvoort. Stepping in for the injured Isack Hadjar, Lawson qualified eighth in the Netherlands qualifying – and was just a tenth of a second slower than teammate Max Verstappen.

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The result is particularly remarkable for Lawson because it is his first time back in the top team since his brief and disappointing Red Bull stint in early 2025. Back then, he was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after only two races. In Australia, Lawson had qualified 18th, and in China even took the last starting position.

This time, however, the situation was completely different. Lawson now has significantly more Formula 1 experience and already knows the Zandvoort track. In addition, the current Red Bull is much easier to push to the limit than the car back then.

“Last year the car was just extremely difficult to drive at the beginning,” explains Lawson. “If you weren’t at the limit, it was a huge loss of lap time. This year there are many more factors.”

“Except for the power unit, everything feels different”

The task was still anything but easy. Lawson normally drives for Racing Bulls and had to get used to the RB22 in a very short time. Only the power unit is identical. “Except for the engine, every single thing really feels different,” says Lawson.

“The steering feel, how the car moves, the balance in the corners, and of course the grip in fast corners – everything is different.” Ergonomically, the Red Bull also felt unusual. Nevertheless, Lawson steadily closed the gap to Verstappen.

His goal for the weekend was deliberately simple: to get as close as possible to the world champion and learn from him. “As drivers, we all have a lot of confidence,” says Lawson. “I tried to be as well prepared as possible. I knew how fast the car is this year and just wanted to get as close to Max as possible.”

He succeeded exactly in that. The preparation for qualifying was not perfect. In Q2, Lawson initially had difficulties, although subjectively he had driven a better lap than before. In Q3, he then found the decisive rhythm. “Today we executed well,” is his conclusion.

Verstappen struggles with old problems

While Lawson had reason to be happy, Max Verstappen was once again confronted with the familiar difficulties of his Red Bull. After the sprint, Red Bull made major changes to the car – without the desired effect. “It’s just the same,” explains Verstappen. “It’s the same balance problems we’ve had all weekend.”

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The changes “unfortunately didn’t really” improve the car. However, he is not frustrated. “We’ve basically had this all year. It’s nothing strange or something that suddenly appeared.”

“We just haven’t really hit the new formula properly yet,” says Verstappen. “These are completely different circumstances.”

Why Red Bull was significantly more competitive, for example, at the race in Austria, Verstappen can at least partially explain. “We’re pretty good on braking. That probably helps there,” says the Dutchman. At the same time, there are “many areas” where Red Bull still needs to improve.

“Hats off” to Lawson

The fact that Lawson came so close to Verstappen in the difficult Red Bull is earning recognition in the paddock. Former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock has clear words for the New Zealander’s performance. “You have to take your hat off,” says Glock on Sky.

Lawson was visibly shaken after his unsuccessful first Red Bull stint back then. Now he has shown a completely different body language. “He really got into the car with confidence this time, took the chance, and delivered,” praises Glock. “Only a tenth behind Max Verstappen – hats off.”

For Lawson himself, the result is a kind of vindication. After his early exit at Red Bull, he always emphasized that what he lacked back then was mainly time – not the necessary confidence. “I always knew it could have gone differently under other circumstances,” Lawson now says. “Maybe you and the world can see it now too.”

Lawson does not want to think about his future at Red Bull yet. The short-term return was mainly an opportunity for him to take on a new challenge. “I arrived this weekend and didn’t really think about my future,” he emphasizes. “I am still very focused on my season.”

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