Liam Lawson laments 'painful' F1 power unit management after missed points chance in Australia

Liam Lawson expressed frustration over a "missed opportunity" for points in the Australian Grand Prix, describing his first race managing Formula 1's new energy-reliant power units as a "painful" experience. After qualifying a strong eighth for Racing Bulls, a poor start dropped him to last, and despite a recovery drive to 13th, he watched as rivals Haas and Audi—and even his rookie teammate—scored points ahead of him.

Why it matters:

For a driver in a midfield team, capitalizing on chaotic races where top cars retire is crucial for scoring precious points. Lawson's struggle highlights the steep learning curve and strategic complexity introduced by the 2026 power unit regulations, where energy management is as critical as pure speed. A clean weekend could have firmly established Racing Bulls in the competitive midfield mix from the season's start.

The details:

• Qualifying Promise: Lawson and Racing Bulls showed strong pace throughout practice and qualifying in Melbourne, securing P8 on the grid and mixing with direct rivals Haas and Audi.
• Costly Start: Lawson bogged down at the race start, immediately falling to the back of the field and ruining his strategic position.
• 'Painful' Race Management: The New Zealander was vocal about the challenge of the new power units, stating, "It is not super fun to drive in the race; it is just constantly managing and running out of energy and slowing down at the end of every straight, so it can be pretty painful."
• Missed Benchmark: Teammate Arvid Lindblad scored points in eighth on his debut, while direct rivals Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) finished seventh and ninth, respectively—positions Lawson felt were within his grasp.
• Energy Optimization Issues: Lawson admitted he wasn't "optimised with energy" during the race and found it "very hard to manage," suggesting there is significant performance to be unlocked with better understanding and execution.

What's next:

Lawson views the weekend as a "decent start" but one with clear room for immediate improvement. The focus for him and Racing Bulls will be translating one-lap pace into race-day performance, specifically mastering the intricate energy management of the new power units. If they can solve this, fighting with Haas and Audi for points should become a consistent reality, turning missed opportunities into captured ones.

"Fighting with the Haas and Audis is probably about where we are," Lawson said. "I would have loved to have seen what was possible, especially with a couple of the top guys not finishing. It is frustrating to miss out on those opportunities."