Lawson reveals 'biggest challenge' of Red Bull switch: The RB21 is 'different everywhere'

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — When Liam Lawson received the call confirming he would take the wheel of the Red Bull in place of the injured Isack Hadjar, his first feeling wasn't excitement. It was the start of the most complex technical puzzle of the New Zealander's career. "Probably the biggest challenge is preparing for both teams," Lawson told reporters at Zandvoort, where he had just finished an impressive 7th place. "I've been talking to both teams' engineers to stay ready for everything. It's been pretty stressful." The stress Lawson mentions isn't just psychological pressure. It reflects a technical reality few outside the paddock understand: the Red Bull RB21 and the Racing Bulls car he drove earlier in the season are not the same, despite sharing the Red Bull group's design DNA. According to Lawson, the two cars are "different everywhere, other than the power unit." So different that even in the simulator — the most modern equipment Red Bull prides itself on — he can feel the difference in how the car behaves. "The Red Bull's high-speed grip is the most impressive," Lawson explained. "But the balance of the car is very different. It's a very different car to drive, including the feedback through the steering and the way it moves around." This is a deeply technical observation from a driver who is one of the few in the 2026 season to have driven both cars from the same group in the same year. It's a valuable natural experiment: the same driver, same tires, same circuit, but two completely different chassis. This difference isn't accidental. In the ground-effect era since 2026, aerodynamics have become the dominant performance variable. Racing Bulls developing its own aero package, despite sharing technical resources from the parent company, is a deliberate strategy. It's also constrained by the cost cap, making technology sharing between the two teams more expensive than ever. The result is a clear division: the Racing Bulls may be easier to drive at the limit, but its performance ceiling is lower. The Red Bull RB21, conversely, demands the driver adapt to a narrower 'operating window' but rewards with higher absolute speed. Lawson having only a few days of preparation — confirmed on Wednesday, racing on Sunday — made the challenge even more severe. He admitted that adapting to the RB21 during a Sprint weekend (with only one practice session) was "stressful but overall a good weekend." However, Monza will be a different story. It's a normal race weekend with three practice sessions, which Lawson believes will make adaptation easier. "Three practice sessions will help a lot," he said. "It's another good opportunity for me to get used to the car." But there's a tactical blind spot few notice: Monza is the lowest-downforce circuit on the calendar. The strength Lawson praised in the RB21 — high-speed grip — will be less relevant here. Instead, braking stability and straight-line speed will be decisive. This could expose the RB21's potential weaknesses during Lawson's adaptation process. This driver shuffle also sends a clear internal message. Yuki Tsunoda being demoted to Racing Bulls for the second time this season is a less-than-positive signal for the Japanese driver's future in the Red Bull program. Simultaneously, it turns the Monza weekend into a direct comparison: Lawson in the Red Bull, Tsunoda in the Racing Bulls. This isn't just a temporary arrangement to fill the gap left by Hadjar's injury. This is an extended audition, a chance for Red Bull to re-evaluate its entire driver lineup ahead of the 2026 regulation revolution. The decision on who will sit next to Max Verstappen in the future could be shaped by performances at Monza and beyond. For Lawson, everything is clear. He doesn't need to beat Verstappen. He just needs to prove he can adapt quickly, bring the car home in the points, and avoid mistakes. And more importantly, he needs to show he understands the complex technical language the RB21 speaks — a language completely different from anything he's experienced before. "Every tactical diagram starts with a shaky hand-drawn line on a PowerPoint," I once wrote about how engineers design a race. But for Lawson, his challenge isn't on the drawing board. It's in the feeling from his fingertips through the steering wheel, in how the car responds in every high-speed corner, in finding the new limits of a completely different machine. The Monza weekend will be the real test. Not just for Lawson, but for the entire future structure of Red Bull's driver lineup.