Lawson’s Red Bull Dream on Hold, Focus Stays on Races

Liam Lawson remains committed to finishing strong this season, even as he dreams of a future with Red Bull Racing.

Liam Lawson isn’t resting on his laurels after a strong weekend in Austin. The RB F1 driver knows his team expects solid performances, but he isn’t rushing; his focus remains on the season’s end rather than his long-term future.

“It’s clear that they expect us to keep performing, so one good weekend isn’t enough to get carried away. They’re obviously pleased with how things went, but this is a very different type of circuit, so we really have to put in a lot of effort over these weekends,” Lawson notes.

“I’ve been with Red Bull for six years, and my goal is to drive for them in the future, though I don’t know if it will happen. For me, it’s about these five races, and I don’t think of them as deciding my spot with Red Bull. I just want to stay in Formula 1.”

Despite numerous practice laps this weekend with a standard format and 90-minute FP2, the New Zealander anticipates a challenging Grand Prix: “It’s an unconventional circuit. With the altitude and circuit style, it’ll be completely different to drive.”

“It’s good to have a bit more time to get used to it, but I expect it to be very, very tough. I don’t expect to start where we left off in Austin. Even if we have a good weekend, we have to reset for the next one, as it’s somewhat like starting from scratch.”

Still, Lawson aims to keep learning through these races and is glad to apply the work put in over the past months: “I think there’s always more to come the more time I spend in the car. The circuit is very different from Austin.”

“I learned a lot last weekend and am getting used to the car, but now, in a way, we’re starting from scratch. Many of these circuits are new; I’ve never raced on them before, so I’m not expecting to be at my best—I expect to learn a lot.”

“I’m expecting to learn a great deal. The last twelve months without being in the car involved massive preparation work, with many days in the simulator. I knew there was a chance for this opportunity, so it was all about working to reach this point.”