Pink Bull have revealed they’ve been placing Liam Lawson via his paces in a non-public take a look at forward of his debut F1 season with the group.
The 23-year-old New Zealander, who solely has 11 grands prix begins below his belt, lately drove Pink Bull’s title-winning RB19 at Jerez as he ramped up his preparations for the upcoming 2025 season.
After impressing as a late-season stand-in for Daniel Ricciardo at Pink Bull’s sister group Racing Bulls in direction of the tip of 2024, Lawson earned promotion to turn out to be Max Verstappen’s subsequent teammate on the senior squad.
Lawson has taken the seat previously held by Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Pink Bull following an abysmal marketing campaign.
To assist get Lawson in control with the group and his new engineers who will assist him in 2025, Pink Bull offered him with the possibility to pattern their 2023 challenger earlier this month on the Jerez circuit in Spain.
Lawson is ready to get his first style of Pink Bull’s 2025 automotive on Tuesday when he and Verstappen shake down the RB21 throughout a filming day in Bahrain.
That may happen a day earlier than F1 pre-season testing on the Sakhir observe, the place Verstappen and Lawson will cut up driving duties from 26-28 February.
Pink Bull objective is obvious for Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson takes up the second seat at Pink Bull
Lawson has been tasked with being the quantity two driver at Pink Bull, the place he’s anticipated to assist the group problem for the constructors’ championship after the title slipped from their grasp final yr.
“The group’s objective is to win the constructors’ and clearly, they weren’t ready to do this final yr, and that’s the clear objective going into this yr,” Lawson instructed media together with Crash.internet at F1’s season launch occasion in London.
“So clearly we’re doing the most effective job we are able to to make the automotive as quick as attainable. And for me, if we’re able that we’re preventing for successful the constructors’, then I’m doing my job.
“So I believe that’s actually the place kind of the group’s objective for me, and their expectation for me is at, outdoors of, clearly my targets in System 1.”
Pink Bull group principal Christian Horner has reiterated his facet try to keep away from pilling an excessive amount of stress on Lawson’s shoulders.
“Liam’s job is kind of clear,” Horner stated. “He’s there to try to present as a lot assist as he presumably can. There’s not an expectation for him to exit and beat a four-time world champion. If he beats him, unbelievable, and there is not any order to say that he can’t.
“However I believe it is a matter of making an attempt to take the stress off Liam as finest we are able to. He has been a part of our group for a few years as take a look at and reserve driver. One of many issues that actually impressed us about him is his psychological power and resilience.
“Being Max’s teammate might be the hardest seat in System 1. We’ll do our greatest to guard him and develop him. He solely has 11 Grands Prix below his belt, so it is a huge ask. However I believe he is acquired all the potential and expertise and psychological power to have the ability to cope with that.”
