Liam Lawson during the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. Photo: photosport
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson has put a flat performance in Japan behind him as he targets his first points of the Formula One season in Bahrain.
Lawson has only had a week to recover from a disappointing result, having finished 17th at Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix in his return to drive for Racing Bulls.
It followed his shock demotion by sister team Red Bull, who reacted to modest performances from the 23-year-old in the opening races in Melbourne and Shanghai.
Lawson said time behind the wheel was invaluable and he was confident of a stronger showing on Sunday at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.
"Having Japan now under my belt in the VCARB (sponsored car), I'm looking forward to going straight into having another opportunity to get to grips with the car," Lawson said in a team statement.
"We could see from last week that it's got great potential, so I'm excited to start getting the most of out of it. It's looking like it's going to be very very hot, especially this year, but being a night race, it brings different conditions.
"It's an iconic track which is normally very hard on the tyres but it's also a track that the team have tested at, so hopefully we can put everything learned from testing into the car this weekend."
Lawson's cause at Suzuka wasn't helped by the team's gamble to start on hard tyres and switch to softs - with his pit stop coming later than most of his rivals.
Liam Lawson. Photo: photosport
Racing Bulls chief technical officer Tim Goss indicated they wouldn't adopt a similar approach at Bahrain.
"We have to extract everything available from car set-up, tyre utilisation and race tactics to maximise our results," he said.
"We have learnt from the last three races where things have either gone well, or not so well, and we come to Bahrain looking to continue to fight to place well in points finishing positions."
It was a contrasting weekend in Japan for Lawson's Racing Bulls team-mate Isack Hadjar.
The 20-year-old French rookie exceeded expectations by finishing eighth in just his third F1 appearance and has already been linked by some to a promotion to the top Red Bull side.
Hadjar said he had more points in his sights this week.
"It sounds crazy to say it, we've been super-fast and finally, in Japan I scored my first points," he said.
"We got them on merit, on pure pace, so honestly, I'm feeling a lot of excitement going into this weekend and I'm feeling even more confident."
Norris versus Verstappen
In the race for the world championship leader Lando Norris has Max Verstappen breathing down his neck after three rounds, with only a point separating the pair.
Lando Norris (L) and Max Verstappen. Photo: photosport
Verstappen dominated last year's race at Sakhir, the now-four-times world champion leading from pole to flag with fastest lap as Red Bull celebrated a one-two finish for the second season in a row.
A third successive win for Verstappen at the desert circuit, even if a one-two now looks highly unlikely, would be another big statement after a victory in Japan last weekend that ended McLaren's winning start.
"Bahrain (is a) completely different track, very tough on tyres... we still have work to do," said Verstappen after Suzuka, the start of a triple header that ends in Saudi Arabia next week.
"But it (the Japanese GP) does show that if we really nail everything, we can be up there," added the 27-year-old whose new teammate Yuki Tsunoda has yet to score after replacing Lawson.
McLaren will be chasing their third successive double podium, and third win in four rounds, at what is a home race for the team's Bahraini owners.
Norris has led since he won last month's opener in Australia, ending a Verstappen run at the top dating back to May 2022, and he and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri remain hot favourites.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen battle during the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. Photo: AFP
Either could become the season's first double winner -- they and Verstappen each have a pole and win so far -- but round four of 24 could also see Mercedes or Ferrari getting in on the act around a circuit all teams tested at in February.
"It doesn't take much of a mistake from us -- or certainly from myself -- to let the others in," said Piastri, who finished ninth in Melbourne after running wide and letting a podium slip through his fingers.
Mercedes' George Russell, who made his Mercedes debut at Sakhir in 2020, was third in Australia and China while 18-year-old rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever race leader and fastest lap setter last weekend.
Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, has won a record five times at Sakhir -- all with Mercedes -- while teammate Charles Leclerc finished first in 2022.
Ferrari, stunned by a double disqualification in China, have yet to get on the podium this season although Hamilton did win the Shanghai sprint.
- RNZ / Reuters
