Why Lawson could offer Verstappen a new threat

Of all the scrutiny over the so-called ‘big teams’ in Formula 1, Red Bull's new line-up is probably the one that has slipped under the radar for most.

Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s promotion at Mercedes have understandably taken the spotlight, with attention drawn to how they will compare against their new team-mates.

But it is perhaps the Max Verstappen/Liam Lawson dynamic at Red Bull that promises to yield the most excitement.

There is an assumption that Lawson has been drafted in as Sergio Perez’s replacement in an attempt to maintain harmony with the world champion.

Verstappen’s father, Jos, has not been shortcoming in his praise of the New Zealander and it was evident that he viewed the 22-year-old as a worthy foil to his son.

Lawson is an affable guy. He’s bided his time with Red Bull and while his results in F2 and F3 were not astounding, he no doubt deserves his shot at the big time having served his apprenticeship.

The expectation is that Lawson will consequently perform a supporting role to Verstappen; to play the role of the dutiful number two driver without pushing back and to assist Verstappen’s bid to become a five-time world champion.

Lawson showed he is no shrinking violet when thrust into combat with Perez in Mexico

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Only, that might not be the case as Lawson is made from sterner stuff. We saw last year how he stood up to criticism from Fernando Alonso at the US GP in Austin, for example, and he got his elbows out in a tussle with Perez in Mexico.

He drew criticism from both drivers but escaped on both occasions without any discipline from the stewards.

Lawson was asked by Autosport whether he was trying to lay down a marker with both, but on both occasions, he claimed he was “not trying to set an example or anything like that”. He was simply being himself and racing as he felt fit.

This bodes well for the upcoming season when he does go up against Verstappen, who has a reputation for being something of a team-mate killer.

If Lawson can display some more of that mental fortitude, then Verstappen could find himself - for the first time since 2018 when he lined up alongside Daniel Ricciardo - without a complicit team-mate, which will make things interesting.

If the reason Lawson was picked over Yuki Tsunoda or indeed Franco Colapinto, was that he was better suited to assisting Verstappen, then that theory is likely to be tested to the limit.

Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Perez have all wilted alongside Verstappen, but Lawson is a new threat and remains an unknown.

Yes, he has been outperformed 10-1 by Tsunoda in qualifying, a stat which has grabbed the headlines. But it is a different picture when it comes to finishing ahead in the race, with the Japanese just shading that battle 5-4, despite his vast F1 experience.

Going up against Verstappen has not been a cocktail for success for several well-regarded drivers on the grid

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

Comparisons are important, but it is how Lawson approaches it which is the key.

Red Bull’s long-serving chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, was interviewed on the Beyond the Grid podcast, in which he said that if Lawson is worried about how he measures up against the reigning world champion, it could be detrimental.

When asked if a driver should accept that he is not currently a match for his team-mate, he said: “If it helps you get the most out of yourself, then, intuitively, it makes sense, doesn’t it?

“If they are constantly worrying about a comparison with a team-mate or what their team-mate is doing, and they fail to get the best out of themselves and their car with their engineers, then yes, it’s been a detriment.

“What you must be prepared for is… it’s true of, in my opinion, of both Max and Fernando [Alonso] in this relentless pursuit of the best they can be. That is, every day, every session, every lap – even if you lose one session, they’re back the next one, and they are on it.

“That comes back to the inner strength of the team-mate, he has to get out of himself his best. And then, has to stand the judgment.”

In this instance, Lawson had proved he can stand up against his rivals, and if that also happens to be the world champion, then so be it.