Why could Lawson present a new threat to Verstappen?

Of all the scrutiny of the so-called ‘big teams’ in Formula 1, Red Bull’s new line-up is probably the one that has slipped under the radar for most.

Lewis Hamiltonswitch to ferrari And Andrea Kimi Antonellion the promotion of mercedes Obviously they have been thrust into the spotlight, with attention drawn to how they will compare with their new team-mates.

but it’s probably max verstappen,Liam Lawson The dynamic at Red Bull that promises to generate the most excitement.

It is believed that Lawson has been appointed to this position sergio perezSubstitution in an attempt to maintain harmony with the world champion.

Verstappen’s father, Jos, is not short of praise for the New Zealander and it was clear he sees the 22-year-old as a worthy teammate for his son.

Lawson is a friendly person. He has enjoyed his time with Red Bull and while his results in F2 and F3 were not amazing, there is no doubt that he deserves his shot at the big time after completing his apprenticeship.

The expectation is that Lawson will play a supporting role to Verstappen as a result; Taking on the role of dutiful number two driver without holding back and aiding Verstappen in his bid to become a five-time world champion.

Only, that can’t be the case because Lawson is made of sterner stuff. We saw last year how he stood up to criticism fernando alonso For example, his elbow went out at the US GP in Austin, and in the fight with Perez in Mexico.

He criticized both drivers, but escaped without discipline from the stewards on both occasions.

Lawson was asked by Autosport if he was trying to lay down a marker with either, but on both occasions, He claimed that he was “not trying to set any precedent or anything like that”.He was just being himself and running as he felt fit.

This bodes well for the upcoming season when he will go up against Verstappen, who has a reputation as a team-mate killer.

If Lawson can display some more of that mental toughness, Verstappen could find himself – for the first time since 2018 – pitted alongside Daniel Ricciardo -Without any collusive teammates, which will make things interesting.

If that’s why Lawson was chosen yuki tsunoda or actually Franco ColapintoWere he better suited to assist Verstappen, that theory is likely to be tested to the limit.

Alex Albon, pierre gasly And Perez has all but faded with Verstappen, but Lawson is a new threat and remains an unknown.

Yes, Tsunoda has thrashed him 10-1 in qualifying, a stat that has made headlines. But it’s a different picture when it comes to staying ahead of the race, with the Japanese losing that battle 5-4 despite their vast F1 experience.

The comparisons are important, but what’s important is how Lawson sees it.

Red Bull’s long-serving chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, is interviewed off the grid Podcast, in which he said that if Lawson was worried about how he would fare against the reigning world champion, it could be detrimental.

When asked whether a driver should accept that he is not currently a good fit for his team-mate, he said: “If it helps you get the most out of yourself, then, intuitively, It makes sense, right?

“If they’re constantly worrying about comparisons with a team-mate or what their team-mate is doing, and they fail to get the best out of themselves and their car with their engineers, then yes , this is a loss.

“You have to be prepared for that… In my opinion, that’s true for both Max and Fernando (Alonso) in this constant pursuit of the best that they can be. That is, every day, every session, every lap – even if you lose a session, they come back the next session, and they keep at it.

“It comes back to the inner strength of the team-mate, he has to perform at his best. And then, the decision has to be stuck to.”

In this instance, Lawson had proven that he could stand up to his rivals, and that would be the case if he became world champion.