Liam Lawson delivers 'more time' verdict with 'tough track' skipped

Liam Lawson believes the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will work in Racing Bulls' favour.

Following the outbreak of war in the Middle East and the escalation of attacks by Iran on its neighbouring countries, F1 officials were left with no alternative but to cancel the two races, reducing the calendar from 24 to 22 grands prix this season.

It now means there is a five-week gap between the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix at the end of this month, and the following race in Miami in early May.

For the 11 teams, it will afford them all the opportunity to further develop their cars following the introduction this season of the new regulations, centred on the split in power between combustion and electrical energy.

As far as Lawson is concerned, missing a race at the Bahrain International Circuit is not a great loss as the track has consistently been one where the team has struggled for a result.

Last season, Lawson and team-mate Isack Hadjar were 16th and 13th respectively; the year before, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda were 13th and 14th, and in 2023, when the team was known as AlphaTauri, Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries were 11th and 14th.

Asked by RacingNews365 whether the break in the calendar would work for Racing Bulls, speaking to the media, Lawson said: "Yeah, I think so.

"Obviously, it means we have more time. We have some stuff that we want to bring, hopefully in the next few races, and it gives us time to prepare that, also on the reliability side as well for a lot of teams, to make sure we're in a great position.

"We've also struggled in Bahrain, anyway. It's been a tough track for us."