Red Bull Racing opted for a full day of testing with young driver Liam Lawson during the recent Formula 1 testing session, marking another significant moment as teams gear up for the upcoming season. While reigning world champion Max Verstappen sat out Thursday's running, Lawson took the wheel to provide valuable feedback on the team's car performance.
Pierre Waché, Red Bull's technical director, shared insights on the decision to have Lawson pilot the car. "We decided to do a full day with Liam today, to continue to prepare him ahead of the season," Waché stated. "Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great, with some rain at the beginning of the day, so we decided to do a race simulation, to get Liam up to speed with long runs and to check the car for general reliability across race distance." These simulations, he explained, are pivotal as they help ascertain how the car performs over longer periods, reflecting real race conditions.
Despite the less-than-ideal weather conditions, which brought intermittent rain and challenging temperature issues, Lawson's feedback was promising. Waché highlighted, "Liam responded well today and his feedback was very close to Max’s. We have good understandings to take to the final day of Testing now, with Max at the wheel." This alignment between Lawson's observations and those of Verstappen suggests strong continuity within the team's driving performance and car dynamics.
The afternoon session of testing aimed to explore the C3 compound tires and various setup configurations. Waché continued, "Our aim was to understand the car with the C3 compound and the setup options and to also explore the setup of the car in general. We had wanted to get total insight, but it was also difficult to judge the performance of the car under these conditions and gather adequate temperature on the tires." Such insights are fundamental for the team as they prepare for races with ever-evolving dynamics and competitive pressures.
Looking forward, Verstappen is set to return to the track on Friday, leading Red Bull’s final day of testing. This session is particularly anticipated as it will be conducted with new parts incorporated onto the car. "The morning session starts at 07:00 GMT and runs until 11:00, before resuming again after a one-hour lunch break, at 12:00, for the final four hours of activity during the afternoon session which will end at 16:00 GMT," explained Waché.
The team’s strategy appears to be paying off as they hone their setup and tuning with early-season outings. Formula 1 testing is not just about speed but also about validating changes and confirming setups. Each team's performance, especially on the final day of testing, will provides insights not just for their own functions but also for their opponents trying to gauge the competition.
With Verstappen back on track, the team looks to finalize their car setup and strategies leading up to the season opener, where these insights and Lawson's feedback will likely play instrumental roles. Red Bull Racing's approach is clear: comprehensive testing coupled with valuable driver input is fundamental to achieve success on race days.