Liam Lawson reveals 'very different feeling' after 'first taste' of new F1 challenge

Liam Lawson has shared that the new Pirelli tyres have a "very different feeling" compared to the compound that was raced during the 2025 F1 season.

The Racing Bulls driver completed 141 laps in the F1 post-season test at the Yas Marina Circuit on the new rubber, getting "as close as possible" to what the field will experience in the new campaign.

F1 is overhauling its chassis and power unit regulations over the winter, so the 2026 cars will be significantly different to the ones driven during the recent ground-effects era.

Lawson, who managed to keep his seat with the Red Bull family at the expense of Yuki Tsunoda, shared his initial thoughts on the new tyres.

"It's been an interesting day whereby we tried to get some advances for 2026," the New Zealander said after the test.

"We also had the opportunity to test the new tyres in a window that's as close as possible to what we’ll have next year, so this will give us some important data to take forward.

"It's a very different feeling compared to what we’ve been driving this season, so it’s always good to have a first taste ahead of time.

"The winter break will give me some time to think about what I’ve just driven before coming back next year with the new car, which I'm looking forward to."

Lawson will be hoping for a brighter year in 2026, having been demoted from his Red Bull seat just two rounds into the season.

Once he found his feet again at Racing Bulls his performances improved, taking 38 points over the final 22 events, 13 points shy of team-mate Isack Hadjar, who has been promoted to partner Max Verstappen in 2026.

Therefore, the 23-year-old will be joined by rookie Arvid Lindblad next year, who finished the F2 season sixth in the standings.