Lawson tried to make contribution in FP1 at Red Bull

Liam Lawson is grateful to Red Bull Racing for the chance to drive the first free practice session of the Abu Dhabi GP. The New Zealander took the wheel from Max Verstappen and drove many laps on both Soft and Hard tyres.

In Mexico, Lawson also competed in an F1 car, but that was with Red Bull sister team AlphaTauri. Lawson cannot compare the two cars as the circuits are too different for that, but sounds very excited after his first time in a Red Bull car. The Red Bull junior recorded the fifth time of the session and was just two tenths slower than Perez.

Lawson was a bit nervous

In a press statement, Lawson said, "It was a great experience today. It was the first time I got to test an Oracle Red Bull Racing car during an F1 weekend. I was quite nervous before the session, but the car is very good, so I quickly felt comfortable." Lawson was able to do a lot for the team immediately in the practice session. Indeed, he drove many laps and used multiple tyre compounds. Lawson continued: "There is a big jump between the two tyres [Hards and Softs]. It was great to get the chance to drive on the Softs. Today was great and I am grateful for the opportunity I got."