Liam Lawson addresses huge F1 change: 'I haven't got my head around it'

Liam Lawson has addressed the scale of Formula 1’s regulation changes, noting after his first day of track action in Barcelona that he still has not got his “head around it”.

The New Zealander drove for the entirety of the opening day of the five-day test in Barcelona and gathered valuable data, despite causing a red flag before lunch as a safety precaution.

It represented Racing Bulls’ first official full day on track with its new car, having completed a shakedown at Imola ahead of the first 2026 pre-season test.

For Lawson, it offered a chance to begin understanding how to operate all the new systems as part of the new power unit regulations, with DRS no longer featuring in F1.

Understanding the new systems is a huge task for all drivers, although Lawson believes it has increased the difference a driver can make — something he views as a positive.

Ultimately, the 23-year-old completed 88 laps, gathering valuable information for Racing Bulls and Red Bull Powertrains.

Asked how different the new car felt to the previous regulations, Lawson told F1TV: "Yeah, they’re very, very different, and I definitely haven’t got my head around it fully yet.

"It’s something we’ll keep learning over the next few days and weeks, when we go to Bahrain as well. But yeah, it’s very, very different.

"It feels like there’s a lot more we can do as drivers, potentially, to make a difference, which is good.

"But right now it’s very early days, so it’s very hard to know where we are. For now, we’re just trying to learn how to optimise the car."