Red Bull Racing's New Zealand driver Liam Lawson speaks with a member of his pit crew on the first day of the Formula One pre-season testing in Bahrain, 2025. Photo: AFP
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson spun his car but managed to record a respectable time on the first day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Involved in the morning session, Lawson spun his new RB21, but was second fastest in the session, behind Mercede's Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Heart-in-the-mouth moment for Liam Lawson #F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/RyVcrzzhUO
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 26, 2025
Lawson completed 58 laps and finished eighth fastest overall at the end of the day.
"I had so much fun out there today and it was so good to finally drive the new car properly and do some laps," he said.
"It feels okay but obviously it is very early days, so it's very much about learning at the moment.
"For me, there is a lot more to come because I need to learn a lot moving teams. But from a team side we are just trying to learn about the new car, and optimise these testing days. We had a plan of test items, and we managed to go through the whole plan, which is always good.
"We go into tomorrow with a lot more running and a better idea of where to improve the car. It's hard to tell where we are in terms of pace but the car feels good to drive and comfortable."
The afternoon session was interrupted by a power cut, but the session was extended with McLaren's Lando Norris going fastest, more than a second quicker than Lawson managed earlier in the day.
Mercede's George Russell was second fastest with Lawson's Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen third and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fourth.
Briton Lewis Hamilton was 13th fastest on the day in his new Ferrari.
Teams have three days of testing in Bahrain before the 24-race season starts in Australia on 16 March.
Lawson is scheduled to test all day on Friday with Verstappen taking over on the third and final day.
Verstappen is aiming for a fifth consecutive drivers' title, while McLaren will defend its constructors title.
Meanwhile, the FIA has confirmed that the Monaco Grand Prix will include a mandatory two stops in an attempt to promote better racing at the principality.
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