The common conception among fans is that F2 cars are almost equal and the playing field is almost level. However, that is not the case. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has exposed an unknown fact about F2 and in the process lauded Liam Lawson for his incredible mental strength by reminding fans how difficult of a battle the New Zealander had with Logan Sargeant when they were teammates.
“In F2, there are sometimes big differences between the engines,” the Austrian said (as quoted by PitDebrief). He then gave an example of how just the fitting of a new engine to Sargeant’s car helped him go three to five-tenths quicker on the straights than Lawson despite the two having the same car.
With such a huge difference in performance between a new and an old engine, it was clear that Lawson would not be able to match Sargeant. Despite that, Marko revealed that Lawson did not give up.
“Knowing that there was nothing he could do about this, he didn’t give up; he continued to fight,” Marko added. “He only placed third in the championship, but others would have despaired and told themselves that they did not have a shot with that engine”.
[PitDebrief] (Helmut Marko): ”In F2, there are sometimes big differences between the engines. Liam Lawson’s teammate was American Logan Sargeant, who recieved a new engine after it was clear that he was headed for F1. After that, he was three to five-tenths quicker on straights.”
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In the competitive world of motorsports, it is rare for drivers to not feel downbeat when they realize that an added variable out of their control is proving to be the difference between them and their rival (in this case teammate).
So, it is commendable that Lawson did not give up despite not receiving a new engine back then, and this is perhaps also why Red Bull decided to promote him instead of Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson has been highly impressive in his short F1 stint so far
Lawson will have his work cut out for him next year when he partners Max Verstappen at Red Bull — arguably one of the most difficult tasks in the sport if recent history is taken into account. However, from what Lawson has demonstrated via his short stint in F1 so far is that if there is any driver who could be up to the task, it is him.
The New Zealander seems to be a driver who is not easily intimidated despite competing in a sport where he lacks experience compared to many of his rivals. As seen last year, the 22-year-old did not back down from taking the fight to Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso, both of whom are multiple-time race winners and the latter a two-time world champion.
While Lawson seems to have the mentality to take the highest of pressures, he also possesses the skill set to deliver results on track. When he first stepped in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo in 2023, Lawson managed to score a couple of points in just his third F1 race. The Kiwi driver also carried on a similar level of form to 2024 as he scored four more points for RB.
With Red Bull showcasing more faith in Lawson, it does not bode well for Tsunoda. Some F1 experts have even predicted that the Japanese racer may be relegated to a reserve driver role in 2026 if Red Bull do not offer him a seat on their main team this season.
