Max Verstappen is joined by Liam Lawson during the Dutch GP weekend. Because regular teammate Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during the summer break, the New Zealander gets a new chance at Red Bull. During the first sessions at Zandvoort, the 24-year-old Lawson was notably competitive. Verstappen explained how the new cars for 2026 benefit substitute drivers.
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During the first and only free practice in the Netherlands, Lawson was still over half a second slower than Verstappen. After that, the differences between them became smaller and smaller. In SQ1, the Racing Bulls driver was even 0.165 seconds faster than the home hero. During the regular qualifying, Lawson made it to Q3 and again came close to Verstappen. With a difference of one tenth, both drivers finished in P7 and P8.
Lawson’s results not very surprising
During a press session, Verstappen stated that the new cars make it easier to ‘find the limit’. “In certain places, you lack electric power, which makes it easier to string together a good lap,” said the four-time world champion. “This weekend it all seems to be going very well, especially compared to the previous cars. But for me, that’s no surprise.”
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“You’ve been seeing that happen all season,” Verstappen remarked soberly. “Everyone is always within one or two tenths of a second. If you have a really bad qualifying, it might be three tenths. The margins always remain small.” Verstappen also sees Yuki Tsunoda benefiting from the new regulations. The Japanese driver is brought in from the reserve bench at Zandvoort to temporarily take over Lawson’s seat at Racing Bulls.
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