Red Bull chiefs want to give Liam Lawson time to adjust after the Kiwi finished dead-last in Sprint Qualifying for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix.

Lawson has had difficulty adjusting to the Red Bull RB21, suffering a Q1 exit and DNF at the season opener in Australia.

Another new circuit awaited the Kiwi this weekend in Shanghai with Lawson granted just one practice session to prepare ahead of Sprint Qualifying, where things unravelled once again.

While Max Verstappen wound up second in Friday’s session, Lawson was dumped out at the first hurdle, propping up the field in SQ1.

Four tenths off of the Dutchman in his first flying run, Lawson saw his second attempt struck from the timesheet after running wide at Turn 9.

Struggling to cool his Medium Pirelli rubber ahead of the blast, Lawson’s lap was fraught with low grip and he was seen grappling with his Red Bull RB21 before his untimely Sprint Qualifying exit.

“I went off, so yeah, it’s obviously a shame,” a downbeat Lawson said after SQ1. 

“I think from a starting point it wasn’t too bad, the first lap was alright, and then we were just looking to build on there. 

“But we stayed out to try to cool the tyres on track, and to be honest I really struggled to get the temps down starting the second lap.

“Basically we started too hot and then through the lap I just struggled. It’s frustrating.

“It’s really a shame because I think honestly, we started okay in Quali.

“The first lap wasn’t amazing but it was relatively okay, so it’s just a shame to be out for something so frustrating.

Given his team-mate qualified second, it’s no wonder Lawson believed “Our pace should be a lot further up than where we are.

“Obviously we have tomorrow’s sprint race to try and learn some stuff and then tomorrow’s quali as well, obviously. We want to do a better job on this.”

Marko and Horner taking pressure off of Lawson

The typically harsh Helmut Marko was more sympathetic to Lawson’s struggles when speaking with the Dutch arm of Motorsport.com.

“It’s sad, but he needs some laps and he must get in a rhythm to show his potential,” the Austrian said.

“I think we have to give him more time. Both circuits, he didn’t know, Melbourne and this one. 

“So we’re looking forward and of course first, next to Max, it looks also that our car is quite difficult to drive.”

Team Principal Christian Horner’s assessment of the Lawson situation was similar when approached to comment by Sky Sports‘ Martin Brundle ahead of Friday’s session.

“We’re only at race two,” Horner said. 

“It’s a circuit he’s never seen before. So I think we have to be fair and give him time. And he will he will get there. 

“But we just need to give him the back and give him time. And, you know, he’s in a highly pressured seat. And it doesn’t get any easier.”

Later in Friday’s press conference, Horner continued his Lawson analysis.

“I think Liam’s got a pretty sensible head on his shoulders,” Horner added. 

“It was a tough baptism for him [in Melbourne]. 

“He still came away with the second fastest race lap. And I just told him: “Ignore the naysayers, ignore social media, put your head down and you’ll be fine.” 

“He just needs a bit of time.”

Time is something Lawson has been granted by Red Bull and the crucial element he needs to find out on track.

READ MORE – Christian Horner highlights positive from incident-ridden Liam Lawson Red Bull F1 debut

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Max Verstappen believes Red Bull shouldn’t have had the pace to secure a front row spot for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race.

Verstappen is set to line up alongside old adversary Lewis Hamilton for Saturday’s Sprint at the Shanghai International Circuit with the legendary duo separated by a mere 0.018s.

The shock omission was the two McLaren drivers who suffered with a fast, but prickly MCL39 leaving a positively surprised Verstappen to capitalise.

“I do think that in first practice we were quite a bit off so I’m very happy to be on the front row,” the Dutchman said on Friday.

“The lap was very good, it’s very tough when you go from a medium to a soft to nail the lap with no references,” he added, referencing the peculiar tyre rules that mandate medium compounds for the first two segments of Sprint Qualifying. 

“I mean, of course, when you look at it, it was 18 thousandths or something off of pole, but I don’t think we should have even been on the front row anyway, so I’m very happy to be second.”

Verstappen went on to say that he and the team made minimal changes to the RB21 as drivability wasn’t an issue heading into Sprint Qualifying.

Instead, the 2025 Red Bull challenger lacks overall pace, as Liam Lawson’s SQ1 exit demonstrated.

Equally, Verstappen’s result showed how maximum efficiency can pay huge dividends.

“I don’t think the balance is massively off we’re just too slow, I would say,” said Verstappen. 

“But this [result] is good for us, a little motivation boost I think as well for everyone. 

“We keep nailing the laps, we keep trying to maximise everything that we got and you need to do that as well when you’re maybe struggling a little bit more for pace.”

Verstappen analyses China Sprint prospects

Looking ahead to Saturday’s Sprint, Verstappen held a glass-half-full mentality.

He expects Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to pose a threat from third and sixth on the grid, but at least thinks he can challenge amongst the front runners in his Red Bull.

“I think we’ve got a car to try and keep something because the McLarens didn’t look as quick today in that session as we thought they would be,” he began. 

“I think they looked very fast up until that last run, so I think it will be very hard to keep them behind, but hopefully it’ll be fun. 

“We are all, I wouldn’t say close, but at least we can race a bit around, that would be nice for me.”

READ MORE – Max Verstappen makes admission on Red Bull win prospects in F1 2025

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Lando Norris lamented a McLaren MCL39 that was “too difficult” to drive during Sprint Qualifying for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix.

Allcomers expected Norris to run to Sprint pole at the Shanghai International Circuit, despite the McLaren driver warning on Thursday that Ferrari could be resurgent.

Those comments came among a notion the MCL39 was a car that has ultimate potential but can bite and that’s exactly how Sprint Qualifying played out.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton romped away to Sprint Pole with a lap record while Norris slid to sixth thanks to two errors.

On his first SQ3 run, Norris had a moment coming onto the back straight, costing him vital speed and six-tenths in the final sector to team-mate Oscar Piastri.

In his final run, locking up into Turn 14 forced Norris to abort the lap and he was adamant once out of the car that an improvement is needed.

“We just struggled a bit more now, just not quick enough simply, I struggled a lot with the car,” Norris said.

“So, yeah, just our difficulties that we’ve been struggling with showed a lot more today.

“Nothing more than that, honestly, just too many mistakes, but it’s just too difficult of a car to drive.”

Wind exposed McLaren’s weaknesses

Norris added that windy conditions helped expose McLaren’s weaknesses, akin to the findings he discovered during pre-season testing in Bahrain.

“I think just throughout the day we’ve been struggling a bit with the front locking and struggling a lot in the last corner with all the tailwinds, he said. 

“Kind of a lot more in line with Bahrain, so just a lot windier when the wind’s blowing, then we struggle a lot more.

“Both myself and Oscar struggled more, clearly me more than him.

“Just pushing a bit hard to try and make up for not quite being quick enough.”

Asked whether McLaren can make improvements for the remainder of the weekend, Norris acknowledged that it’s up to him, rather than the team to turn his Chinese GP around.

“That’s more me rather than the car,” he said. 

“I can’t make the car perfect, but, this was me just trying to, again, like I said, just push a bit too much. 

“I think the car’s still good and in a good window, maybe not good enough for pole, but, yeah, we can definitely go forward.”

READ MORE – Lando Norris: McLaren MCL39 made it difficult to dominate F1 Australian GP qualifying

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Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner is unsure how the latest clampdown on flexi-wings will impact the Formula 1 pecking order as Alpine is forced to make a change.

The FIA informed teams ahead of the new season that front wing flex-limitations will be restricted as of Round 9, with rear wing flex restrictions in place at the season opener to the tune of 2 mm vertical movement on the main plane under a load of 75 kg. 

However, during pre-season testing, Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache accused the likes of McLaren and Ferrari of abusing rear-wing flex rules, a phenom colloquially referred to as ‘mini-DRS’ after Oscar Piastri’s MCL38 was scrutinised in Baku last year.

The FIA found no teams in breach of rear wing flex regulations at the season-opener in Melbourne, but its surveillance prompted a new technical directive, effective for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, slashing the flexibility limit from 2mm to 0.5mm.

McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes haven’t had to make changes as a result of the Technical Directive, but there has been a change for some of the midfield outfits.

Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu told the Sky Sports broadcast team during practice at the Shanghai International Circuit that the VF-25 has had to stiffen its rear wing after being close to the margin on the 2mm limit in Melbourne.

As well as this, Alpine Racing Director Dave Greenwood confirmed to Motorsport.com that his team has made a change.

“We’ve had to do some work back at the factory to make sure we were in a correct place here, but I think that’s fairly normal in these situations,” he said. 

“When a rule and an allowance of deflection changes, you need to check that you are going to be able to comply with that as well.

“I think you can imagine the time scales were very small, so it’s not like you can do something revolutionary. But yeah, there are things we can do to make sure we comply.”

Horner unsure of TD impact

Given that none of the top four teams have admitted to making changes, adamant that the rear wing flexibility has been adhered to both at Melbourne and Shanghai, it’s hard to see how this latest technical directive will impact the pecking order.

This was predominantly the thoughts of Horner when he was asked about the new rules during Friday’s press conference in China.

“Well, I mean, the FIA, it’s their job obviously to police these things,” Horner said. 

“They obviously saw things that they weren’t particularly happy with at the last race.

“So therefore, as is their prerogative, they’ve tightened up those regulations through TD that came out this week. 

“Now, what effect it has up and down the grid, I really don’t know. 

“But that’s just part and parcel of Formula 1. TDs are almost forthcoming on a weekly basis.”

What could create a bigger impact, is the front wing flex clampdown in Spain later this year.

Horner has already commented on the matter, querying the timing.

“Yeah, it’ll be interesting the effect that it has – I guess the slight oddball about it is the timing of it,” Horner said.

“Why race nine? It might have been better to have been addressed during the off-season, because you end up doing sort of two specs of wings.

“But who will gain or who will lose from it, I think, is impossible to predict.”

READ MORE – Lando Norris: McLaren ‘not pushing rear-wing flex limits enough’ amid China clampdown

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Ferrari academy driver Maya Weugh set the fastest time in F1 Academy qualifying in China, securing pole position for Race 2 at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Returning for her second season, Weug guided her Ferrari-liveried MP Motorsport machine to a time of 2:03.379s, four tenths faster than Mercedes-backed PREMA driver Doriane Pin.

The duo were close rivals in 2024 and will launch from the front row in Race 2 on Sunday, but with Race 1 being a reverse grid event, Weugh and Pin will line up eighth and seventh respectively on Saturday.

Third fastest was 16-year-old rookie Alba Larsen in her Tommy Hilfiger-liveried car with Red Bull Ford driver and F1 Academy race winner Chloe Chambers fourth.

Red Bull-backed Alisha Palmowski posted the fifth fastest time late on in the session and fellow rookie Joanne Ciconte went sixth fastest in the F1 Academy car.

Sauber rookie Emma Felbermayr was seventh fastest and PREMA-operated Alpine driver Nina Gademan will take the reverse grid pole after going eighth fastest in qualifying.

Positions ninth through 18th will start both races from their qualifying position.

Aston Martin’s sophomore driver Tina Hausmann missed out on reverse grid pole by less than a tenth of a second, as 0.930s covered the top nine in qualifying.

Charlotte Tilbury’s Chloe Chong rounded out the top-10.

McLaren’s new F1 Academy driver Ella Llyod was 11th quickest, ahead of AMEX driver Nicole Havrda.

Despite going 13th fastest in qualifying, Racing Bulls-backed Rafaela Ferreira will line up for both races from 16th on the grid after causing a collision with Williams’ Lia Block in practice.

Puma’s Aurelia Nobels, Haas’ Courtney Crone and Tag Heuer’s Aiva Anagnostiadis, plus wildcard Shi Wei rounded out the classified runners in qualifying.

Block couldn’t compete due to damage sustained to her machine in practice.

READ MORE – F1 Academy sets groundbreaking partnership with More than Equal

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Two of the leading organisations for the betterment of female racing drivers, F1 Academy and More than Equal have joined forces.

F1 Academy, in its third season, is a Formula 4 level female-only world championship with backing from all 10 Formula 1 teams plus several globally recognised brands.

More than Equal meanwhile, is a female-focussed driver development initiative conducting groundbreaking research and data-driven research methods to unearth, develop and nurture the first female F1 champion.

As of Friday, More than Equal becomes the Official Driver Performance & Research Partner for F1 Academy and will provide “expert, research-driven, insights that will help to develop the physical and mental performance of female drivers in F1 Academy and senior karting categories.”

Tom Stanton, CEO and Head of Driver Development at More than Equal said “This partnership represents a major step forward in creating a clear, data-driven pathway for female drivers. 

“By combining More than Equal’s expertise in research and performance with F1 Academy’s commitment to driver progression, we are ensuring that talented young women receive the support they need at every stage of their motorsport journey.”

F1 Academy Managing Director joins More than Equal board

More than Equal will collaborate with F1 Academy on research initiatives and devise a structured plan to guide female drivers through their development.

F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff takes up a position on the More than Equal advisory board as part of the partnership, which will see a dedicated physiotherapist provided to the all-female racing series throughout the year.

“More than Equal is fueling meaningful progress with insightful, industry-leading research,” said Wolff. 

“By coming together, and with the committed support of More than Equal, we will be an even stronger force for positive change in motorsport – with action, not just words.”

Dr. Fran Longstaff, Head of Research at More than Equal, added: “If we want to see real change in female participation at the highest levels of motorsport, we need to take an evidence-based approach. 

“Our research will provide the data and insights needed to shape effective talent development strategies, ensuring female drivers have the right support structures in place to succeed.”

READ MORE – More than Equal unveils research on gender equality in Drag Racing

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McLaren’s Lando Norris laid down a strong 1:31.504s benchmark to clear the Formula 1 field in free practice at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Norris was four and a half tenths ahead of second-placed Charles Leclerc in a session that was briefly interrupted by a red flag.

“I have an issue, no power steering, car’s switched off,” Jack Doohan told Alpine with 13 minutes left in the solitary practice session in Shanghai.

At that moment, the Red Flag was waved to recover the stricken Alpine, before anyone had managed to do a Soft Tyre run before Friday’s Sprint Qualifying session.

A four-minute delay prompted an eight-minute frenzy where the majority of the remaining drivers headed back onto the Shanghai International Circuit with soft Pirelli rubber.

READ MORE – When and how to watch the F1 2025 Chinese GP

With the newly resurfaced Shanghai circuit rubbering in, Norris having two cracks at a flying lap benefitted him en route to the top of the timesheet.

Behind the Briton and Ferrari’s Leclerc was McLaren’s second driver, Oscar Piastri who was six and a half tenths behind his team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton then made the order McLaren, Ferrari, McLaren, Ferrari as the seven-time champion posted the fourth fastest time with his ex-Mercedes team-mate George Russell rounding out the top five.

A late effort by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg saw the German go sixth, ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top-10.

After Haas suffered at the back of the field in Australia, Oliver Bearman showed promise by going 11th-fastest during practice in Shanghai.

The British teenager led Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Haas team-mate Esteban Ocon with the Frenchman’s former Alpine peer Pierre Gasly going 14th.

Next up in the order was Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the Dutchman low in the order after aborting his Soft Tyre run.

Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar was 17th fastest ahead of Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, with the New Zealander still acclimatising to the RB21.

That left Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine’s Doohan to complete the order.

READ MORE – F1 2025 Chinese Grand Prix – FP1 Results

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McLaren‘s Lando Norris said Ferrari must have been “shocked” by its pace deficit in the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Ferrari posed a genuine threat to McLaren throughout practice at the Albert Park Circuit with Charles Leclerc even topping FP2.

However, come the top-10 shootout in qualifying, any competitiveness Ferrari had towards McLaren evaporated as Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were resigned to the fourth row, seven-tenths adrift of the papaya front row lockout.

In the race, Ferrari’s fortunes didn’t improve and a lack of outright pace and strategy miscues saw the Scuderia duo finish eighth and 10th respectively.

Norris is adamant that McLaren won’t enjoy a similar advantage over Ferrari this weekend in China, expecting the Italian squad to have fared far better in Melbourne.

“The gap in qualifying surprised us a bit,” Norris said on Thursday.

“Our goal was to be on pole, and we expected to be quickest, but we also expected Ferrari to be a good chunk quicker than they were. 

“In the end, they were what—seven, eight tenths off? They’re not that far off by any means. 

“If you looked at FP1, FP2, FP3, their pace never looked that far behind. All of Ferrari’s race runs on Friday were a lot closer to us than anyone else. 

“In fact, I think Ferrari’s race pace on Friday was maybe even better than ours. So we were surprised. 

“I’m sure they seemed a bit shocked as well by why they were so far off in the race. 

“But it just shows how difficult it is to predict. One weekend, everything is going well, and the next, it can turn upside down.”

McLaren driver line-up an ‘advantage’ – Norris

Norris acknowledged that race by race and even stint by stint, things can change very quickly.

“You saw how quick Max was at the end of the race,” Norris exclaimed, citing the moment damp conditions played into the Red Bull driver’s hands.

“Even at the start, in the first five to seven laps, and then again in the last five to seven laps, Max was just as quick as us.”

However, when the conditions dried and managing tyre degradation became key, Norris highlighted that his and Oscar Piastri’s know-how proved to be a big advantage.

“But in that middle period of the race, when you have to understand the tyres and know how much to push, we seemed very strong,” he said. 

“That’s when you need a well-balanced car in drying conditions so the tyre degradation happens evenly, rather than the front wearing out more than the rear or vice versa. 

“Also, there’s a good amount that Oscar and I have learned from each other about how to drive the car efficiently. 

“That’s an advantage—not every team has two teammates who can really rely on each other and push each other forward. 

“It’s something we’ve worked on at McLaren, and I think it’s paying off.”

Ferrari meanwhile, although boasting a strong driver line-up, is working hard to bring Hamilton up to speed, as he seeks to tune his massive talent to his new surroundings.

After three seasons as team-mates, Norris and Piastri are singing from the same hymn sheet.

READ MORE – Lando Norris predicts slow start for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

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Max Verstappen claims it’s “impossible” to quantify whether McLaren’s 2025 advantage outweighs the one Red Bull had with its 2023 Formula 1 machine.

Mercedes’ George Russell has been repeatedly despondent about the field’s deficit to McLaren, despite the 2025 season being one race young.

In Melbourne, he argued that McLaren could already switch 100% development focus onto next year given the pace of the MCL39 and on Thursday in Shanghai, he made an even bolder claim.

“The gap they have this year on everybody is bigger than Red Bull has ever had,” he said (via The Race),” adding the MCL39’s advantage is “definitely bigger” than the RB19 that won all but one race in 2023.

Verstappen, meanwhile, said “it’s impossible” to say whether the MCL39 is stronger than the all-conquering Red Bull.

“Unless you have driven that car yourself,” he added.

“They’re super strong,” Verstappen said of McLaren. 

“I have a lot of respect for what they have done already last year and now they’re very fast. Very all-round, good everywhere.

“That is just a fact now, how big the gap is or whatever is difficult to say.”

Red Bull lacking all-around performance to McLaren – Verstappen

All-around performance is something that Verstappen believes Red Bull’s RB21 is lacking.

Speaking to F1 media the Dutchman said “I just want to focus on our own car. We just try to work from there, because that’s the only thing that we can control anyway. 

“That’s what I prefer to focus on and hopefully, step by step, we can find some more performance.

“I think in general, what we have seen so far, high-speed has not really been weak, so it is quite good.

“It is more the rest of it, where we are not all-round enough. 

“That is what we have to work on. Here, there are not that many high-speed corners, but there are a lot of unknowns with the tarmac – it’s new. So it’s very hard to say where we will be.”

His assessment of the weekend ahead was pragmatic, saying “I for sure know that we will not be the quickest because I think that is McLaren with how strong they are currently. 

“But that’s fine. We just have to focus on ourselves and try to do the best we can.”

When it comes to how the pecking order behind McLaren, Verstappen added “Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari were all quite close [in Australia]. 

“And [that] probably will differ a bit track to track.”

READ MORE – Max Verstappen makes admission on Red Bull win prospects in F1 2025

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Lewis Hamilton labelled the radio exchanges Max Verstappen has “far worse” than the communication troubles he had with Ferrari in the  Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Adami, who worked with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz previously, had a baptism of fire at the Albert Park Circuit last weekend.

Adami, keen to guide Hamilton through the mixed conditions on his Ferrari bow, was consistent in his delivery of information, only for the driver to ask for less interaction.

The awkward discussion highlighted the work the two have to be on the same page, but Hamilton insisted post-race that there wasn’t a deep-rooted problem emerging.

Instead, the Briton feels the coverage of the interactions was overblown and drew a comparison to his ex-F1 title rival Verstappen’s fiery chats with Gianpiero Lambiasse.

“I was very polite in how I had suggested it,” Hamilton said via Sky. “I said: ‘leave it to me, please’.

“I wasn’t saying ‘F you’. I wasn’t swearing. So it was just at that point, I was really struggling with the car and I needed full focus on these couple of things.

“We’re getting to know each other. He’s obviously had two champions or more in the past and there’s no issues between us still.”

He added: “Go and listen to the radio calls with others and their engineers, far worse.

“But unfortunately, you [the media] make… the conversation that Max has with an engineer over the years, the abuse that the poor guy’s taken and you never write about it, but you wrote about the smallest little discussion I had with mine.”

Hamilton highlights Verstappen-Lambiase exchanges

It’s actually well-documented that Verstappen and Lambiasse are fiery over team radio, but it has proved to be a winning duo and a routine the duo has settled into.

It’s a chalk-and-cheese combination for sure, but speaks to the fact both men are comfortable with one another after years of collaboration.

Hamilton and Adami are just one race into their working relationship, so naturally, things will take time to gel, leaving him still surprised about the attention it garnered.

“I don’t know why everyone’s been so negative about it,” he said. 

“I was polite. I always said ‘please’ at the end.

“When you look at some of the other drivers who have been super vocal, almost abusive, their engineers have taken batterings for years, and mine didn’t even take a battering.

“There are a couple of individuals that were quite rude on how we spoke. 

“It’s something you learn along the way. From race to race, we’re going to get stronger together, and that’s the most important part.”

Hamilton went on to say how he and Adami are cordially building up a rapport.

“Ultimately, we’re literally just getting to know each other,” he said.

“So afterwards I’m like: ‘hey bro, I don’t need that bit of information but if you want to give me this, this is the place I’d like to do it’. 

“This is how I’m feeling in the car and, at these points, this is when I do and don’t need the information’.

“That’s what it’s about. There are no issues, it’s done with a smiley face and we move forwards.”

Hamilton to change Ferrari approach in China

Radio communication wasn’t the only thing Hamilton is acclimating to as he learned the ropes of working with his wider Ferrari team and the SF-25 machine itself.

After an uninspiring run to 10th in his Ferrari debut, the seven-time champion revealed he will be trying a different approach at the Shanghai International Circuit.

“We’re just going to set the car up a bit different this weekend,” he said. 

“I’m still having to take a viewing seat how the team operates. 

“It was the first weekend to see how they operate on the race weekend, which is different to testing, how they like to set the car up, the changes they like to make during the weekends.

“As I get more and more comfortable and more knowledgeable about the car, I can start making more decisions, and say, ‘actually, this is the set-up change I want to go with’.

“Already this weekend I’m having those discussions, and gonna lean a little bit more with adding my experience.”

READ MORE – Lewis Hamilton ready to ‘rebuild’ Ferrari amid F1 title vow

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