Liam Lawson highlights key 'sensitive' challenge as new F1 season looms

Liam Lawson has highlighted what he considers to be his biggest challenge going into the new F1 season.

Lawson begins his second full campaign in Formula 1 with this weekend's Australian Grand Prix after Racing Bulls decided to retain his services at the end of last year following a tricky campaign.

The New Zealander started the season at Red Bull but was demoted after just two grands prix as Max Verstappen's team-mate. It took Lawson time to readjust before he found his feet and did enough to continue this year.

Like his 21 rivals, Lawson faces a new era of F1, given the sport's power unit shift to a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical energy, and the introduction of 100% sustainable fuels.

It sparked concerns from many of the drivers during the two three-day pre-season tests in Bahrain, in particular, in not just how a grand prix could unfold, but even a qualifying lap, given the battery management required.

Assessing the most difficult area of the car he has encountered so far in the new regulatory era, Lawson said: "Battery management is definitely the most challenging aspect to understand.

"It’s very different from last year, much more sensitive, particularly when it comes to preparing the battery for a qualifying lap and managing over a longer stint.

"On top of that, the cars have significantly less aero, which makes them more difficult to drive and less forgiving overall."

Lawson prediction near impossible

Lawson has conceded that he did not go into testing totally blind and unaware of what was on the horizon with the new cars. Nevertheless, there were curveballs.

"We became aware of the new regulations early last year and began preparing straight away," said Lawson. "So by the time I first drove the new car, I had a solid understanding of what to expect and the key differences between the 2025 and 2026 cars.

"Some weren’t a surprise, but when you get in the car, you are definitely still learning how to optimise."

It means the coming campaign will initially be tough as the drivers learn how best to navigate the new cars, set-ups, and the variety of options available to them, making an early target for the year almost impossible.

"It’s still difficult to say where we stand, as we don’t yet have a clear picture of our true pace," said Lawson.

"Of course, the objective is to score points, but on a personal level, my focus is on extracting the maximum from myself and delivering the best possible performance every time I’m in the car."