Liam Lawson airs concern over 'unfortunate' F1 rule change

Liam Lawson believes F1's new style of qualifying can be "extremely" mentally tough for drivers as they can no longer push flat-out. 

With the new batteries not having enough energy to complete a full lap at usual qualifying speed, drivers are having to adapt their styles over a flying lap, much to their dismay. 

For the Japanese GP, the level of energy able to be used was dropped to 8MJ from 9MJ, in a bid to limit lift and coast and super-clipping, but drivers were still widespread in their condemnation at Suzuka on Saturday. 

Reflecting to the shift, Racing Bulls' Lawson branded the new style as a "strange way of driving."

"It is not like it used to be, it is quite different, quite frustrating in some cases when you're trying to extract everything out of the corners," Lawson told media, including RacingNews365.

"You're finding time through the corners, but you're using more energy, and then you end up being slow trying to find the balance and drive under the limit. It is a strange way of driving.

"It is unfortunately processing more rules to follow when qualifying, where previously you were flat-out trying to extract everything from the car.

"Sometimes you will find the time, and feel like you are on the limit, and then you've actually spent more energy by doing that in the corners.

"It is extremely [tough mentally] because in qualifying, you're trying to go as fast as you can, so it is just about trusting the methods we have and following them."