Key mistakes that Liam Lawson must avoid to survive in Max Verstappen’s world

Liam Lawson can learn 𓂃fr𓃲om the mistakes made by his predecessors at Red Bull.

Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen
Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Liam Lawson has the daunting task of going up against F1’s best driver, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Max Verstappen in 2025.

Verstappen has developed the reputation of being a teammate destroyer, seeing off 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pierre Gasly, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alex Albon and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sergio Perez over the last six years. Given Lawson’s limited F1 experience, the same f▨ate potentially awaits the Kiwi.

Based on Verstappen’s teammates over the years, stretching back to 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Daniel Ricciardo, Laꦇwson will have to avoid a number of key mistakes to have a successful Red Bull career...

On-track clash leads to paranoia

Undoubtedly, Ricciardo has been Verstappen’s ܫstrongest F1 teammate to 🍒date. They spent the best part of three years together before Ricciardo’s shock decision to leave for Renault.

While Ricciardo had a slight adv꧙antage in performance, to begin with, Verstappen was growing in the ascendancy. By 2018, the tide was firmly in the Dutchman’s favꦉour - and Ricciardo knew it.

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen on track in Baku 2018
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen on track in Baku 2018

They came to blౠows at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, colliding while braking into the first corner. Both drivers played a role in the incident as Verstappen moved aggressively under braking, while it can be argued there was never a gap for Ricciardo in the first place.

The clash never made things awkward betwౠeen Verstappen and Ricciardo, but it led to some paranoia for the latter, ultimately resulting in his strange decision to join Renault. Despite his hefty salary at Renault and return to winning ways at McLaren, Ricciardo would live🃏 to regret his decision to leave Red Bull.

F🍸or Lawson, avoiding a clash with Verstappen will be imperative to having a🅘 successful Red Bull career.

Arguing with your tech chief

Gasly was handed the call-up to Red Bull foll☂owing Ricciardo’s shock exit for 2019. The Frenchman’s 12-race stint was unsuccessful as he lagged well b🔯ehind Verstappen.

Putting his on-track struggles aside, Gasly did himself no favours away from it. It was widely speculated that Gasl𝔉y voiced his concerns and displeasure about the handling of the RB1𓄧5 and how it was set up.

Speaking on the Last Lap podcast in 2022, former Red Bull engineer Dan D🍬rury discussed Gasly’s time at the team and his alleged argument with design guru Adrian ꧂Newey.

He said: “Pierre’s problem was he started to doubt himself in his own head. Like we’re seeing with Ricciardo [aꦍt McLaren] once you start doing that you’re on a downward spiral.

“There was one point, where again, I wasn’t there so I can’t confirm or deny but apparently Pierre got quite vocal with Adrian [Newey] over the setup of the car and it became a bit of a shouting match in the garage and then once that happened, in front of Helmut Marko, it was back to the sister 𒁃team you go.”

While the argument with Newey has never been factually proven, Helmut Mark🧸o hinted that Gasly voiced his frustr♎ations towards Newey.

Marko said, as qꦐuoted by GP Blog: “We told Gasly that he should use Verstappen’s setup. He has to adapt it to his driving style. He should focus on driviܫng and not constantly tell Mr. Newey how to build the car for him.”

While Red Bull will be without Newey for Lawson’s first year with the team, keeping your technical staff on your side and be🎐lieving in you 💝will be imperative, even if the car is challenging to drive at times.

“They race me so hard”

Albon’s only full season as a 𓆏Red Bull driver can be summed up by the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix a🙈t the Nurburgring. Albon destroyed two sets of tyres due to lock-ups in the race before a clumsy incident with Daniil Kvyat.

Albon was also ridiculed for a message over team radio after he could not overtake Gasly🧜. With Gasly putting up a stern defence, Albon complained to Red Bull: “They race me so hard”.

Alex Albon retires from the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix
Alex Albon retires from the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix

It was a clear suggestion that Albon wasn’t quite cut out to be a Red Bull driver. Lawson needs to ensure that he’s not afraid to remain robust and aggressiꦦve on track.

So far, at least, Lawson has shown he’s prepared to go head-to-head with some of the biggest names in F1, such as Fernando Alonso. Showing that grit on-track will staღnd Lawson in g𒆙ood stead even if he lacks the ultimate pace relative to Verstappen.

False title dreams

A strong start to the 2023 season proved to be Perez’s ultimaꦬte undoing. After winning two of the openi🍷ng four races, Perez thought he was finally in title contention against Verstappen.

Af๊ter his win in Azerbaijan, Perez declared: “I am definitely in the fight for the title, not just becaus♒e of Baku, I believe I can be very good anywhere this season and now I am just thinking of Miami.

“There are 𒉰a lot of races coming up and we must m♉ake sure we are on it.”

That race would end up being Perez’s final victory in F1 and was soon followed by a worrying dip in form. While Perez secured P2 in the drivers’ championship, handing Red Bull their first-ever 1-2 finiไsh, regular Q1/Q2 exits were common for Perez.

2024 saw a repeat of Perez’s mid-season, but this time, there was no revival by the end of the year, forcing Red Bull to replace him with Lawson. Lawson will believe he can beat Verstappen and win the F1 world championship, but unlike Perez, ജhe needs to manage expectations and not get carried away in 2025.

It goes without saying that on-track performance and being as close to Verstappen as possible will determine how long Lawson is at Red Bull, but avoiding the mistakes made by his predecessors sho♓uld give him the best chance of staying with the team for multiple seasons. 

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