An impressive Dutch GP qualifying session for Liam Lawson saw the Red Bull super-sub all but match Max Verstappen, the pair split but little more than a tenth despite their gulf in experience.
As impressive as Lawson’s effort was, his telemetry data shows he was even closer to Verstappen than it appears, and reveals exactly how he adapted to, and unlocked pace in the RB22.
Liam Lawson data exposes secret to matching Verstappen
Lawson had an uncertain start filling in for the injured Hadjar, exiting Sprint Qualifying in Q2 over a second adrift of Max Verstappen, his teammate once again.
Expectedly, he needed time to adapt to a brand-new car and adjust his driving style, which is precisely what happened on Saturday afternoon during main qualifying.
In fact, this marks the first time Lawson has made it past Q1 in a Red Bull car, following a disastrous start to the 2025 season that saw him swiftly dropped.
However, a year later and Lawson is a completely different driver, and the gap to Verstappen during qualifying proves just that.
Delving into the data highlights that Lawson was actually ahead though almost the entire second sector of the track.
Verstappen had a better run through Tarzan (Turn 1). Later braking and higher apex speed gained him a 0.1-second advantage here and he maintained it until Turn 3, where Lawson had a better line, bringing the delta gap back to zero.
After matching each other through the high-speed Turn 4, Turn 5, and Turn 6, Lawson forged ahead once again through Turns 7 and 8.
A clear speed difference on the straight between two corners is visible on the graph, along with a higher apex speed that the Kiwi managed to carry through Turn 8.
Different energy deployment certainly plays a role here and is likely the main reason for Lawson’s higher straight-line speed, but the encouraging sign is that he managed to extend that advantage through Turn 8 as well.
After this section of the track, he had roughly a 0.15 seconds advantage compared to Verstappen.
But then Verstappen hit back, driving better through Turn 9 and Turn 10, where a noticeable tailwind was present throughout qualifying and probably played a role here. A similar pattern repeated through Turn 11 and Turn 12, putting Verstappen back in front, albeit by a minimal delta.
In the final sector, Verstappen deployed more of his available electrical energy, clearly visible as the delta line spikes after exiting the penultimate corner, establishing his final time 0.12 seconds quicker.
Although it was a generally poor result for the team considering it is nowhere near challenging the top teams on the grid, Lawson has plenty of reason to be pleased.
The fact that this is his first weekend in the car, and that he is still adapting, is evidenced by the full-throttle percentage on his fastest lap.
Lawson’s percentage stood at 57.6%, whereas Max reached 61.7% – no small difference. This metric is very often directly linked to a driver’s confidence in the car and knowing where its limits lie.
It is also interesting to note Lawson’s progression across the weekend.
Comparing his fastest laps from Sprint Qualifying against Verstappen reveals just how much slower he was in Sector 2, specifically through Turns 7 and 8, where he went on to make his biggest gains on Saturday.
Wither overtaking difficult, a strong starting position is key at Zandvoort, especially so given the difficulty drivers had overtaking during Sprint. The only realistic overtaking spot is Turn 1, and you need to be glued to the car in the last corner to even stand a chance.
It would therefore be a major surprise not to see Lawson in the points, which is crucial for the remainder of his season, and potentially his career.
It remains to be seen whether Hadjar will be fit for Monza in two weeks’ time, but what is certain is that the data reinforces Red Bull’s decision to give Lawson another shot in the senior team.
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Originally published by Planet F1 —
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