Horner reveals Red Bull's need to give 'backing' to Lawson
F1 News
Max Verstappen has a very particular driving style and setup preferences, which often differ significantly from those of his teammates. This makes it especially challenging for others to adapt to the car alongside him. However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner sees no issue with this, stating that it is only natural for the team to prioritise Verstappen’s preferences.
"Max is quite specific about what he wants from a car to make it fast," Horner told the media at the Shanghai International Circuit. "That is generally a very positive front end on the car," a very sharp turn in and of course, the consequence of that is it will unsettle the rear of the car and that for a driver is tremendously confident sapping if you've got a loose rear end on these cars on entry into corners and so that's where he excels.
"That's where you know he's able to live on a nice edge of adhesion. And he's just constantly asking for more and more front out of the car," Horner explained.
Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve also pointed this out recently. Speaking to a betting site, he explained that Verstappen prefers cars with a very sharp front end, allowing for extremely precise handling. However, Villeneuve noted that such cars are rarely designed because most drivers would struggle to control them consistently.
Red Bull follows Verstappen's instructions
Horner, for his part, emphasises that it's only natural for the team to follow the lead of its fastest driver and shape the car's development accordingly. "You're always going to follow the direction of your faster driver. And that leads the organisation in terms of his development. Liam has to be, for your team, able to see Max's gearbox casing on the grid and his rear wing in the distance by the end of the Grand Prix. That's what you need from him. Picking up points, to be there on the days when Max has a problem."
Horner prepared to give Lawson 'backing' to improve
When asked how much time Liam Lawson will be given by Red Bull, the team boss refused to specify a timeframe. "There's no specific time frame in that. Obviously, we're only at race 2, it's a circuit he's never seen before, so I think we have to be fair and give him time. I think he will get there, but we just need to give him the backing, give him time, and he's in a highly pressured seat and it doesn't get any easier."
This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel
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