Liam Lawson has brushed apart the notion that his spectacular kind with Racing Bulls has banished the “ghosts” of his transient spell at Pink Bull at the beginning of final season.
The New Zealander is ninth within the drivers’ championship with 43 factors after 11 rounds. He has scored factors on eight of these weekends and has taken two sixth-place outcomes, in Monaco and at Silverstone, which has helped the Faenza-based squad to fifth within the standings on the midway stage of the marketing campaign.
By all accounts, the 24-year-old is likely one of the standout performers in F1 this 12 months, and his present state of affairs is a far cry from when he was promoted to Pink Bull alongside Max Verstappen however misplaced the seat after two grands prix, with Yuki Tsunoda changing him.
Requested by PlanetF1 whether or not his present season had helped put the “ghosts” of his Pink Bull spell to mattress, Lawson mentioned he had not seen the state of affairs in these phrases.
“Actually, no, probably not,” Lawson mentioned. “I do not actually; I have never actually thought an excessive amount of about what individuals thought final 12 months or something like that.
“I am very targeted on the place I am at proper now, ensuring I’ve season and attempting to clearly have a future in Method 1 and work in the direction of the identical aim we’re all working in the direction of.”
Lawson mentioned he’s not spending time eager about what occurred throughout his transient Pink Bull stint. “So yeah, by way of stuff that is occurred up to now and final 12 months, it is probably not one thing that I take into consideration now,” he mentioned.
“I believe it is most likely extra for you guys [media] to resolve no matter you assume, as a result of for me, it isn’t one thing I take into consideration now.”
Lawson added that he sees final season as a tough interval slightly than one thing that continues to have an effect on him.
“It is probably not a factor for me. I believe proper now on this season we’re doing a really, excellent job. In my eyes, I did not actually have a ghost of final 12 months,” he continued.
“I had a troublesome season. However I discovered an enormous quantity by it, and truthfully, I’ve come out of that as a a lot stronger driver and particular person.”
Lawson shared that he’s attempting to use these classes throughout the 2026 marketing campaign, with Racing Bulls persevering with to attain constantly within the midfield.
“I am attempting to make use of all that every week, and I get within the automobile now to have season, and that is what I am doing. Nonetheless individuals view it’s as much as them.”
Racing Bulls has repeatedly fought for factors within the opening half of the season, with Lawson and Lindblad each boasting eye-catching shows. Now, the previous insists that sustaining that degree is the main target.
“On the finish of the day, clearly individuals can have a look at it nevertheless they need, however, in the intervening time, issues are going very, very properly, and that is what we’re targeted on persevering with, attempting to maintain that consistency going,” he added.
“It is most likely the toughest factor in Method 1; to maintain that consistency, particularly, I believe, within the midfield; you are form of at all times in all of the motion.
“So for us, it has been working very properly. However yeah, I might say this 12 months is an effective illustration of the place issues are at.”
