F1 News
Horner jumps to defend Lawson after struggling in practice: 'A big step up'
Christian Horner isn’t entertaining any criticism of Liam Lawson after a difficult Friday in Australia. Max Verstappen’s new teammate wrapped up Friday’s free practice sessions in P16 (FP1) and P17 (FP2), trailing Verstappen by a fair margin. However, the Red Bull team boss insists this is completely understandable, given that Lawson will take some time to adjust to his new Red Bull team.
“Liam, it’s a big step up," Horner began to Sky Sports. "Being Max’s team-mate is probably the toughest job in Formula 1. But he’s got the mental aptitude and strength of character to deal with that."
Horner has full confidence in Lawson
Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner emphasized that people shouldn't overlook the fact that this is Lawson’s first time driving at this circuit, making the challenge even tougher for the young driver. "He’s not been here before, I think he’s the only driver on the grid that hasn’t done some laps around this circuit.”
The Kiwi tapped the wall in the middle sector first practice session but managed to keep running unscathed.
While P16 and P17 weren’t the results the team had hoped for, Horner remains unconcerned about the young driver’s pace. He is confident that Lawson will continue to improve as he gains more experience on the track. "But he’s finding his feet and giving some very good feedback, he’s settling in nicely. We’ll see over the next few races."
Lawson will be back in action in FP3 and qualifying on Saturday before his first Grand Prix with Red Bull on Sunday. It's an early start for European fans, as the race starts at 04:00 GMT.
This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel
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