Liam Lawson’s Satisfying Comeback with Racing Bulls at Suzuka

Despite a harsh demotion from Red Bull, New Zealand racer Liam Lawson felt right at home as he returned to the Racing Bulls team during the Suzuka race weekend. After two challenging race weekends, Lawson’s stint with Red Bull was abruptly ended by the team’s management, who decided to give his former teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, a chance instead.

Adapting to a New Formula 1 Car

Having struggled to adapt to Red Bull’s tricky RB21, Lawson found himself more at ease in the VCARB 02. In an admittedly disjointed Suzuka FP2, he managed to secure fifth place, just less than half a tenth behind his new teammate Isack Hadjar. “It felt good,” Lawson said about his first day in his new car. “The guys have a very, very good window at the moment, and the car has been fast this season, so hopefully we can replicate that tomorrow as well.

The track itself is a thrill for Lawson, with the resurfaced sector one making it even faster. “It’s a very cool track,” he said. “With the resurfacing, sector one is even faster now, so it just feels like it’s tearing your head off, which is quite exciting.

A Supportive Environment at Racing Bulls

At Racing Bulls, Lawson has found a warm and supportive environment to help him regain his confidence. Team principal Laurent Mekies made it clear that his priority was to help the 23-year-old find his feet again. “He knows he has an important role to play with us in the battle we have in the midfield,” Mekies said. “He knows he has a point to prove out there, so we are all very conscious that his talent is there and it’s about finding the right conditions to extract it back out of him.

Lawson has received the right support from the Anglo-Italian team to make the transition as smooth as possible. “Everybody’s been very, very positive,” he said. “Laurent was straight on the phone and very, very positive, saying all the things I needed to hear, going to see everyone at the factory, and obviously yesterday coming to the paddock as well.

Lawson is looking forward to a successful partnership with Racing Bulls. “I’ve spent a lot of time with this team,” he said. “They’re a great bunch of people. It is nice to feel that welcome back again, so hopefully we can go and have some good races together.