Liam Lawson warns of 'punishing consequences' for wrong F1 thinking

Liam Lawson has warned that the "consequences" for making a wrong decision in F1's new era are "quite punishing".

The opening two grands prix in Australia and China have forced the drivers to adapt to a style of driving anathema to what they were previously accustomed to, due to the required level of energy management.

Pre-race homework is also concentrated on how to get the best out of the 50-50 split in power between combustion and electrical energy, leaving the likes of Lawson and his rivals short on time to focus on setup.

Following a mixed start for the Racing Bulls driver, who finished 13th in the season-opening race in Australia, followed by superb drive to seventh last time out in China, Lawson is still refusing to offer a positive verdict on the new cars.

"They’re very different for us to drive at the moment," said Lawson, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, at Suzuka.

"They’re very different to get used to each track. The big difference is that we used to go into a weekend spending pretty much all of our time thinking about setting up the car and optimising the car balance. Right now, it’s really energy management.

"We spend so much time talking about trying to manage the energy and get the most out of that because there’s so much lap time in it.

"The racing is quite different as well. We have to basically use a lot of different tools and drive a lot differently to try and overtake and defend, and it’s something that we’re still learning.

"So far, because it’s new, it’s obviously quite different and difficult, to be honest. It’s something that we’re also getting used to."

Lawson indicated that a more strategic approach is now required, adding, "There are just more consequences when you get it wrong.

"If you use too much energy or something like this, it can be quite punishing. You’re doing a lot more thinking, I would say, when you’re driving."

'Tough' Japan beckons

At least heading into this weekend's Japanese GP, Lawson feels more confident following his performance in China.

However, the New Zealander knows the Suzuka circuit will represent a more difficult challenge as it is another energy-starved track, like Melbourne's Albert Park.

"It was a good weekend, for sure," said Lawson, referring to Shanghai. "To be honest, we weren’t very fast through the weekend. We qualified quite badly, and it definitely wasn’t a track that suited us, so we definitely made the best out of it.

"At the start of the race, we were aiming to try and get to the points. We definitely didn’t expect to finish where we did. Obviously, it helps that some of the front guys did not finish, but even still, we would have been back into the points, which would have been a good race for us. So happy with China.

"I’m sure this weekend’s going to be tough. Obviously, we have new changes to the cars this weekend that we have to try and adapt to, but it’s been a decent start."