Liam Lawson’s Red Bull debut ended in frustration, with a tough qualifying, a pit-lane start, and a race-ending crash in wet conditions.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has come to the defense of Liam Lawson after a challenging first weekend with the team.
After an underwhelming Friday, Lawson’s RB21 suffered an engine issue in FP3, preventing him from completing a single lap. His struggles continued into qualifying, where he was eliminated in Q1. Red Bull then made set-up changes under parc fermé conditions, forcing him to start from the pit lane.
His race came to an early end in the mid-race downpour. Sticking to medium tires, he lost control in Turn 2 and crashed into the barriers.
“It was a tough weekend for him. We adjusted the car to increase downforce because this track is extremely tricky in the rain,” Horner explained.
Horner: Risk Didn’t Pay Off, But Lawson Showed Promise
“We took a gamble by keeping him on slicks since he was outside the points. We thought, ‘Let’s take a chance—maybe it’ll pay off.’”
“But just at that moment, the rain intensified, so it’s hard to blame him for that final spin.”
Despite the disappointment, Horner highlighted a key positive: Lawson’s pace on dry tires.
“He actually set the second-fastest lap of the Grand Prix—1:22.9 compared to Max’s 1:23.0 and Lando’s 1:22.1. That’s a promising sign.”
However, missing FP3 put him on the back foot, and the pressure only mounted from there.
“He struggled in qualifying, going off twice—that was less acceptable,” Horner admitted.
Looking ahead, Horner acknowledged that Lawson’s next challenge won’t be any easier.
“Next weekend will be tough—it’s a sprint race on a track he’s never driven before.”
“He showed resilience in Melbourne, but that wasn’t a true reflection of what he’s capable of.”
Lawson’s debut may have been rough, but Red Bull isn’t writing him off just yet.
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Lawson’s Rocky Start: Horner Defends Rookie After Crash Lawson’s Rocky Start: Horner Defends Rookie After Crash
