Liam Lawson makes surprise on-track return with Red Bull

Liam Lawson made a surprise return to Red Bull machinery at Mugello on Wednesday, sharing the opening day of Pirelli's two-day test with McLaren's Oscar Piastri. The New Zealander completed 116 laps as the Italian tyre manufacturer gathered comparative data for its 2027 development program.

Why it matters:

The test gives Lawson valuable mileage in a Red Bull amid ongoing uncertainty over Isack Hadjar's fitness for next weekend's Italian Grand Prix. It also allows Pirelli to evaluate its hardest compounds under extreme conditions, with track temperatures peaking at 55 degrees Celsius.

The details:

• Piastri ran 93 laps (488 km) for McLaren, setting a best time of 1m21.358s while working through the C1, C2 and C3 compounds.
• Lawson covered 116 laps (608 km) for Red Bull, focusing predominantly on the C2 compound. His quickest lap was 1m22.297s, though outright pace was not the priority.
• The Kiwi's appearance comes just days after he was called up at short notice for the Dutch Grand Prix, where he qualified eighth and finished seventh – his first points as a Red Bull driver.

What's next:

Testing resumes on Thursday, with Lando Norris taking over from Piastri and Ayumu Iwasa replacing Lawson. Audi's Nico Hulkenberg is also scheduled to drive. Red Bull remains hopeful Hadjar will be fit for Monza, but no final decision has been confirmed.