OFICIAL Formula 1

How Lawson rose to the challenge of driving a Red Bull again

What happened
Based on Formula 1 · Aug 24, 2026

Liam Lawson scored points on his return to Red Bull Racing at the Dutch GP, adapting quickly to the RB22 despite limited simulator time and challenging conditions. Team principal Laurent Mekies praised his performance.

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How Lawson rose to the challenge of driving a Red Bull again
Formula 1 — Formula 1
Key points
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Liam Lawson saw the chequered flag in Zandvoort in seventh place, as his super sub appearence yielded a handful of points.
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The Dutch GP weekend was always going to be difficult for Liam Lawson after he was parachuted into Red Bull Racing at the last minute, but the New Zealander excellently did the job that he was asked to do.
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The Red Bull RB22 and Racing Bulls VCARB 03 may share the same power unit, but they are very different beasts, and heading into a busy Sprint weekend schedule with just a day in the Milton Keynes simulator with which to adapt to the former was a big challenge.
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Throw in the fact that Lawson was being benchmarked against Max Verstappen at the four-time World Champion’s home race – and his obvious desire to find redemption after his aborted two-race stint at Red Bull in 2025 – and the pressure was on.
Key numbers
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He admitted uncertainty about grip levels in the changing conditions but managed the situation effectively, even after receiving a 10-second penalty for a yellow flag infringement that did not affect his result.
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He contrasted this season’s RB22 with last year’s difficult stint at Red Bull, where unfamiliar tracks and an inherently tricky car compounded the learning curve.
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Liam Lawson scored points on his return to Red Bull Racing at the Dutch GP, adapting quickly to the RB22 despite limited simulator time and challenging conditions.

Liam Lawson finished seventh at the Dutch Grand Prix, securing points for Red Bull Racing after stepping into the RB22 with minimal preparation. The New Zealander had just one day in the Milton Keynes simulator to adapt to the car, which shares a power unit with the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 but differs significantly in handling. Despite the pressure of racing at Max Verstappen’s home event and the challenge of benchmarking against him, Lawson delivered a competitive performance, finishing only one-tenth of a second behind Verstappen in qualifying.

Lawson’s weekend began with a sixth-place finish in Sprint Qualifying 1, though he slipped to 11th in SQ2. He improved to eighth in both main qualifying sessions, lining up behind Verstappen on the grid. After the race, he described the weekend as difficult but acknowledged progress, noting that the team helped him become comfortable with the car despite the limited time available. His goal was to close the gap to Verstappen, and he felt he achieved that objective.

The race start was chaotic due to wet conditions, with Lawson navigating the first lap cleanly before engaging in wheel-to-wheel battles with his teammate. Verstappen’s crash on the final banked corner forced Lawson to take avoiding action, though he retained his seventh-place finish after the restart. He admitted uncertainty about grip levels in the changing conditions but managed the situation effectively, even after receiving a 10-second penalty for a yellow flag infringement that did not affect his result.

Lawson reflected on the challenges of adapting to a new car, emphasizing that even shared components like the power unit result in vastly different driving experiences. He contrasted this season’s RB22 with last year’s difficult stint at Red Bull, where unfamiliar tracks and an inherently tricky car compounded the learning curve. Despite the pressure, Lawson expressed satisfaction with his progress, highlighting the importance of tyre preparation and balance in extracting performance from the RB22.

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