Oscar Piastri, the McLaren driver who hails from Melbourne, showcased his skill during the final practice session leading up to the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, recording the fastest lap with a time of 1:15.921. This success occurred as the spotlight turned to his teammate, Liam Lawson, who is replacing Sergio 'Checo' Pérez at Red Bull Racing for this season. Lawson's debut has not gone as smoothly, as he struggled significantly throughout the practice sessions.
On March 14, during the third practice at Albert Park, Lawson faced immediate challenges. After experiencing issues with his RB21, he ended the session without registering any competitive times and was forced to return to the pits. This performance followed another troublesome day where he finished 16th and 17th respectively in the first two practice sessions. These setbacks have led to fans dubbing him "Slowson" as his performance fell under scrutiny for not meeting Red Bull's high standards.
The session itself had been interrupted early by rookie Oliver Bearman, driving for Haas, who crashed at turn 11 just minutes after practice began, bringing out the red flags. Fortunately for Bearman, he managed to avoid hitting any barriers and was able to rejoin the session later. After the incident was cleared, the other drivers, including Piastri, returned to the track to pursue their strategies for the upcoming race.
Lawson's misfortunes have been compounded by Red Bull confirming notable issues with the car’s power unit. "There’s been a problem with the power unit or the system on the air side," said sources within the team, leaving Lawson unable to gain any valuable track time.
Meanwhile, Piastri's performance has generated excitement, with George Russell of Mercedes coming close behind him, finishing just four hundredths slower. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen placed third during the session, with Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso finishing sixth and seventeenth respectively, showing varied performance levels across different teams.
The pressure on Lawson intensified as fans began to express their disappointment on social media. Many bolstered opinions questioning whether Pérez was truly the problem during his time at Red Bull, especially considering Lawson's struggles. "They said Checo was the problem, didn’t they? We'll see about Lawson now," stated one fan, encapsulating the sentiment circulating through the motorsport community.
Despite the mounting critiques, Red Bull Racing director Christian Horner came to Lawson's defense. "Liam is finding his feet and showing good signs. We’ll see how he performs moving forward,” he remarked during the post-practice interviews. Horner acknowledged the challenges Lawson faced, underscoring the fact he was the only driver on the grid without prior experience on the Australian circuit.
With qualifying on March 14, expectations were high for all drivers, yet Lawson faltered again. He was eliminated early, unable to produce competitive lap times and will be starting the race from 18th position. This leaves him just above Esteban Ocon and Bearman at the grid's start—a disappointing position for any driver, especially at such a prestigious event.
Verstappen managed to seize the opportunity, indicating his readiness for the season, but Lawson continues to be questioned whether he can meet the expectations of not only the Red Bull team but also its avid fanbase. Fans are eager to see if Lawson can recover from this difficult start and prove his worth as Pérez once did, winning five Grand Prix titles for the team between 2021 and 2023.
Despite the wave of memes and calls for Pérez's return to the grid, including supportive jokes for Lawson, the overarching question remains as teams gear up for the race on March 15: Can Lawson turn things around and establish himself as the capable driver Red Bull envisions him to be?
Race day carries with it the weight of expectations and the hope for redemption. Fans and critics alike will watch closely whether Lawson can shake off the label of 'Slowson' and prove himself worthy of competing at this level. The competitive spirit of Formula 1 doesn’t allow for easy second chances, and Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix could be the perfect stage for Lawson to turn the tide.