Liam Lawson has pushed back on Max Verstappen’s suggestion that Formula 1’s 2026 cars have become easier to drive, arguing that the complicated energy-management demands make adapting to a new car far from straightforward. The New Zealander accepts part of his Red Bull team-mate’s argument, but believes only he and Yuki Tsunoda truly know how difficult it has been to switch between different cars this season.
Verstappen recently told the BBC that the 2026 generation of Formula 1 machinery has reduced the ability of the most talented drivers to make a decisive difference. The four-time world champion used the rapid adaptation of Lawson and Tsunoda as examples, while making clear that his comments were not intended as criticism of either driver.
Max Verstappen says 2026 F1 cars have reduced driver influence
Verstappen’s argument centres on the way the current cars require drivers to manage electrical energy throughout a lap. Instead of simply braking later, carrying more speed through a corner and accelerating earlier, drivers sometimes have to compromise those traditional inputs to optimise battery deployment and straight-line performance.
The Red Bull driver pointed to Lawson’s encouraging performances after stepping into the RB22 and Tsunoda’s ability to adapt to Racing Bulls following Isack Hadjar’s injury. In Verstappen’s view, their competitiveness showed how the current cars can be less sensitive to individual driver inputs than previous generations.
The comments are part of a wider debate around the characteristics of the 2026 machinery, with Max Verstappen among the most outspoken critics of the new technical formula.
Liam Lawson says the cars are not simply easier to drive
Lawson was asked about Verstappen’s remarks during the Madrid weekend and did not react angrily to being used as an example. However, he made clear that he does not entirely agree with his team-mate’s interpretation.
“Cars easier to drive? Well, honestly, I don’t know,” Lawson said during a press conference attended by FormulaPassion.it. “But it’s something that generally concerns this generation of cars. I don’t think they are simpler — quite the opposite.”
“They are quite complicated because of the way the energy works, although I can understand what Verstappen means. It feels like there are aspects that are perhaps less under our control, precisely because of the way the battery delivers its power.”
Lawson therefore acknowledged one element of Verstappen’s criticism: energy deployment can restrict how much control a driver has over the way lap time is generated. But he believes that should not be confused with the process of actually learning and extracting performance from an unfamiliar car.
Lawson: “Only Yuki and I know” how difficult the switch is
For Lawson, the fact that he and Tsunoda have both changed cars during the season gives them a unique perspective on the difficulty involved.
“But at the same time, I also think that Yuki and I are the ones who have actually driven these cars,” Lawson added. “So we are the only two who really know what it means to try to get up to the right speed with a different car. And it definitely isn’t simple.”
Lawson made a positive impression during his first weekend back with Red Bull at Zandvoort, particularly because of how close he was to Verstappen in qualifying. His Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza proved more difficult, however, showing that adapting quickly does not necessarily mean extracting consistent performance immediately.
Madrid marks Lawson’s third Red Bull race of 2026
The Madrid Grand Prix will be Lawson’s third appearance for Red Bull this season as he continues to deputise for the injured Hadjar. Remarkably, that means he will have raced more times for the Milton Keynes team in 2026 than he did during his brief spell as an official Red Bull driver in 2025.
The debate with Verstappen therefore comes from two different perspectives. Verstappen believes the new regulations have reduced the scope for exceptional drivers to gain time through traditional driving inputs, while Lawson argues that mastering a different 2026 car remains a complex challenge even if the initial adaptation can sometimes appear rapid from the outside.
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