Jacques Villeneuve has questioned whether Liam Lawson is resistant to being Max Verstappen's teammate. According to the Canadian, while Lawson is tasked with supporting the Dutchman, his own goal would be quite different now that he joined Red Bull Racing.
"It's a big chance for Liam Lawson, it's a big opportunity, but we've seen drivers put into the main team right away collapse very quickly," Villeneuve told Action Network. "We'll see how mentally strong he is and how good he really is, because we don't know yet. I mean, you cannot take his F2 season, his Japanese season or his races against Tsunoda as a benchmark.
"Contractually Lawson is there to help Verstappen. But in his own head, he's not. In his head, he's there to replace Max. So, he will try to be tough and quick."
Lawson is already getting the chance at the Austrian team after 11 Grands Prix for Racing Bulls, almost seen as being thrown in at the deep end with this chance to race alongside Verstappen with such little F1 experience. According to Villeneuve, the New Zealander should finish close to the Dutchman, regardless of how strong the car is, with that being the only chance he will have of retaining his seat.
Why Verstappen's teammate will have a tough time
Verstappen has quickly worn out his previous teammates in years gone by. The young drivers at Max's side, in particular, were unable to last for as long as Red Bull would have liked when paired up alongside the 27-year-old. Pierre Gasly was sidelined after just six months, while Alexander Albon was given another year and a half by Red Bull Racing. Both had similar or slightly more experience than Lawson has now.
Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez lasted longer with Verstappen, both of them staying at the Austrian team for three and four years, respectively. The two men were Verstappen's teammates, but they were experienced before they encountered Verstappen. Perez had already had quite a career, while Ricciardo was considered Red Bull's star after beating Sebastian Vettel in his first year at Red Bull Racing.
What also does not help Lawson is Red Bull Racing's approach. Christian Horner and Helmut Marko regularly speak out in favour of a situation with a clear first and second driver, and Lawson's starts as the second driver speaks for itself given Verstappen's form and track record.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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Have that kind of mentality and you will be very frustrated and try too hard, make more unforced errors and fall further and further back from him. Drivers should know their own skill/talent levels based on how they compare in their younger racing categories vs their team mate. When coming up against a highly regarded team mate, if a driver has a better record and more championships in their rookie seasons or even going back to karting, then you have a legitimate hope of challenging him. Charles records were better than Seb, George was better than Hamilton, Oscar was better than Lando. The last 2 were pretty close, but still slightly better, and we see the close competition on the track currently. Lawson's records is no where close to Max, so its no point trying and be utterly disappointed. Antonelli's records, on the other hand, is even better than George, so it will be great to see how that pans out this season.
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