Liam Lawson attributed the strong moment experienced by Racing Bulls in the 2026 Formula 1 season to a detail he considers fundamental. For the first time, he took part in the team’s entire pre-season. The New Zealander believes that this period was decisive in understanding the new car and in following from the start the development path chosen by the team.
The performance reinforces this assessment. Lawson has already scored points in seven of the nine rounds contested so far, in addition to scoring in two of the four Sprint races of the season, while Racing Bulls has solidified itself as the fifth strongest on the grid in the most recent races.
The preparation for 2026 carried even more weight because of the introduction of the new technical regulations. Unlike the previous year, when he spent the pre-season with Red Bull Racing before being relegated to Racing Bulls after just two races, this time the driver followed the team’s work from the very start.
According to Lawson, this continuity made a difference not only due to the time behind the wheel but also the possibility of understanding exactly what the technical priorities of the project were. For him, knowing the direction the engineers were taking accelerated his adaptation to the car.
Commenting on the impact of the complete preparation, the driver highlighted that every additional experience contributes to development: “Everything helps. Naturally, the more experience you have in any situation, the more it helps,” he said.
Lawson also highlighted that the scenario was even more important in a season marked by completely new cars: “Especially with these new cars, it makes a big difference to take part in all development during the pre-season,” he added.
The New Zealander added that following the work from the outset allowed him to better understand the team’s objectives: “Being exactly aware of where we are focusing on the car and what we are developing makes a big difference,” he concluded, underscoring the importance of the integration between driver and team to sustain Racing Bulls’ evolution throughout the season.
