'You are stupid if you think I can beat Max Verstappen right away'
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Liam Lawson eventually wants to beat Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, but does not expect to do so anytime soon. Indeed, people who think Lawson could just pop in and beat Max are "stupid".
''In this sport, what happens is that your teammate is your biggest competitor. But my teammate is also Max Verstappen. A four-time champion, who has been with this team for almost a decade. For me, it's a great opportunity to learn from him and develop myself. I am still very inexperienced, I am aware of that. If anyone thinks you can just beat Max when you are just coming in, then you are just stupid,'' the New Zealander told De Telegraaf.
However, it does not mean Lawson is just resigned to a role as second driver for the next few years. Ultimately, he does want to beat Verstappen. ''I think so, but that takes time. Of course I want to get to that point as soon as possible, but it's not realistic to expect that from me now.''
Initially, Lawson needs to adapt to his new team. If one were to look at Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari, even the most experienced drivers cannot achieve top performance in the car from day one. That takes time, and it's only natural that that is the case for Lawson as well.
What does Red Bull expect from Lawson?
Lawson is therefore focused on the team's goal: to become world champion in the constructors. If that succeeds, the New Zealander will have had his share of that and will be satisfied. From there, he hopes to one day beat Max in the future. ''But I would completely crush myself if, without much experience and as a new member of a team, I thought I could beat someone who has been driving here for 10 years.''
It is an attitude that suits Red Bull Racing's wishes. Helmut Marko, for example, previously stated that Lawson's main concern is to learn from Verstappen and try to be as close as possible. Red Bull knows from experience that young drivers can also make mistakes. For example, Gasly was discarded after six months for being too focused on beating Max.
Lawson's first and second free practice sessions in Australia were still difficult. Afterwards, Red Bull Racing's new driver himself stated that he was simply too slow, not managing to get beyond a 17th time in FP2 and falling short in the longruns as well. Helmut Marko defended Lawson, stating that he should be compared to Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was also well behind George Russell at Mercedes.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.
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