Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has spoken to 1News about his build-up to this weekend’s Melbourne Grand Prix, saying he felt more excitement than pressure – even with the eyes of his home nation upon him.
In an interview with 1News sports reporter Michelle Prendiville in Melbourne today, Lawson spoke of racing on the Melbourne street circuit for the first time on what is expected to be an extremely hot weekend for the first grand prix of the year and his first for Red Bull Racing.
"It'll be very special to race here," Lawson said. "Obviously as a kid I watched this grand prix. I played the Formula 1 [video] games and then the last couple of years coming here as a reserve and honestly feeling that support as a New Zealander, even as a reserve. It's very special to be with Red Bull Racing. It’s a big opportunity and completely up to me now.
Watch an extended interview with Liam Lawson on TVNZ+
"Right now, honestly it’s more excitement than anything. Obviously, there will be pressure as the weekend builds up. There’s pressure as an F1 driver in general – it’s something we’ve been dealing with since before F1, since we got into go-karts.
"That won’t change. Obviously, we have goals and things I want to achieve as a driver in this sport. Pressure just comes with the job."
The Kiwi Formula 1 driver will be racing on the Melbourne street circuit for the first time this weekend. (Source: 1News)
He added: "This weekend it’s meant to be 38 degrees on Saturday... to start the year like that is quite tough. We normally have those races later in the year and you’re more race fit for that. To start the year with a really high down-force track, a high G-force track – hot – it’s going to be very tough."
Lawson, the former AlphaTouri and Red Bull reserve driver who replaced Sergio Perez as world champion Max Verstappen’s teammate for this season (after only 11 races in total) has tempered his expectations in line with his experience, or lack of it, and a feeling that the new car may not quite have the pace of the McLarens driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
"It’s going to be very tough," Lawson said. "There are a lot of fast cars and McLaren are very, very strong. I don’t think right now we are probably fast enough but obviously that’s what we’re working towards."
The 23-year-old has, however, felt the benefits of a full pre-season at Red Bull Racing headquarters in Milton Keynes in England.
"For me, having a pre-season and spending time at Milton Keynes this year – weeks and weeks to spend time with the team, that’s been unique for me because I never had that. When I did the last races it was always last minute that I came in.
"That’s been really cool and we’ve definitely made the most of that."
Lawson flew into Melbourne yesterday with his parents after playing golf with former All Black Dan Carter at the Te Arai course north of Auckland and said he had felt the support of the Kiwi public.
"Being home over summer in New Zealand and seeing the support has been really cool. At the same time, we do it in maybe a Kiwi way. It’s not the same as in other places. It’s just a lot of people who are excited … I feel that support from New Zealand."
Commenting on his testing recently in Bahrain where he almost spun off the track near the end of the session – due to a gust of wind, it was later reported – Lawson said: "It was good to drive the car. Ideally, we’d get more time in the car with more testing but that’s just how it is now in Formula 1.
"We had a few issues on our day but not enough to make a difference this weekend. The main thing is we ‘ll get an indication of where we sit with the others, especially when we get into qualifying."
Expectations, then?
"It’s probably more unique to the team goals,” he said. “Obviously, a new track, the start of a new season with a lot of new tracks and a new team for me. Outside the team goal of obviously pushing towards the front as much as we can, for me I’ve got Max [Verstappen] alongside me who I’ll be using a lot and just getting up to speed with where I need to be.
"I’m realistic and I know it’s going to be very tough to do.
"I can dream it up in my head as much as I like but have to put the work in to achieve it."
Lawson, the poster boy of New Zealand motorsport, also recently had the honour of appearing of the cover of GQ magazine.
"It looked cool and came out good," he said. "I’m not sure I was completely comfortable but at least it made me look good."
Watch Michelle Prendiville's full interview with Liam Lawson in Melbourne on TVNZ+
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