Lawson: Full pre-season the 'big difference' in Racing Bulls turnaround

Liam Lawson has credited his first full pre-season with Racing Bulls as the catalyst behind his consistent points-scoring form in 2026. After missing last year's crucial preparation window while briefly at Red Bull, the New Zealander says understanding the team's development direction from day one has proven transformative under the sport's sweeping new regulations.

Why it matters:

Lawson's current stability marks a sharp turnaround from his disjointed 2025 campaign, when he spent pre-season with Red Bull only to be demoted after two grands prix and thrust back into Racing Bulls without proper preparation. That lack of continuity left him scrambling to understand a car he had never developed, whereas his uninterrupted 2026 pre-season has helped Racing Bulls emerge as the fifth-fastest team on the grid. With points in seven of nine grands prix and two of four Sprints, he is finally establishing himself as a consistent midfield leader rather than a stopgap driver trying to survive.

The details:

• Lawson completed the entire 2026 pre-season program with Racing Bulls, his first full winter with the squad ahead of the major rules overhaul.
• The continuous run allowed him to be "exactly aware" of where the team is focused and what it is developing, from early concepts through to in-season upgrades.
• He has scored points in seven of nine grands prix this season, plus two Sprint events, a stark contrast to his brief and difficult 2025 Red Bull stint.
• Racing Bulls has unlocked genuine pace in recent rounds, with Lawson attributing the improvement to deeper integration with the engineering team during the winter.

What's next:

The 2026 regulations reset has given midfield teams a rare opportunity to close the gap to the front, and Racing Bulls is seizing it. Lawson will aim to maintain his scoring streak as the team pushes upgrades to solidify its position as the leading midfield outfit. With full-season continuity for the first time in his F1 career, he is finally able to extract the maximum from the package rather than playing catch-up.