Max Verstappen believes that Liam Lawson will fare better in the Racing Bulls Formula 1 challenger compared to the Red Bull RB21.
After two underwhelming performances, Lawson’s fears that he wouldn’t have time to settle at Red Bull were realised as the team opted to swap him with Yuki Tsunoda ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
According to reports, Verstappen was against the change, which tallies with his calls for improvement in the Red Bull package.
It’s well documented that Red Bull’s F1 cars have a narrow operating window, one Verstappen has found comfort in, but a revolving door of team-mates have suffered searching for.
Lawson’s uncharacteristically poor results in the first two rounds of the season make for bad reading: DNF in Australia from 18th in Qualifying and zero points in the Shanghai Sprint weekend from two last-place results over one-lap.
Racing Bulls, meanwhile, has given its drivers a stable platform to produce strong results and both Tsunoda and rookie Isack Hadjar made the top-10 shootout in China last time out.
Their performances prompted Verstappen to deliver the following verdict to De Telegraaf: “If you look at the difference between the two drivers at the other teams, they are all closer together.
“It also shows that our car is extremely tough. I think if you put Liam in the Racing Bulls car, he will go faster. I really think so. That car is easier to drive than ours.”
Verstappen also told Sky Italy in China, “[The Racing Bulls are] doing very well, they’re very close to me. Maybe that also says something, but yeah, I don’t know.”
Horner: Racing Bulls is ‘more settled’
The Dutchman is well aware of the RB21’s difficult nature and so too is Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.
Asked about Verstappen’s remarks in Shanghai, Horner said, “I think the Racing Bulls car is a more settled car.
“It probably is a little more stable on entry, it probably has a bit more understeer in that car, and therefore is easier to adapt to.
“But you can see the difference in pace in the cars on a longer stint today,” Horner added, pointing out the RB21 has a higher ceiling than the VCARB 02.
Horner concluded that Lawson would likely find adapting to the VCARB 02 “easier” than the RB21.
“I think in terms of finding the limit in a car that has an inherent understanding, he’s always going to find it easier than finding the limit in a car that is a little more edgy.”
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