Lawson makes remarkable Red Bull comparison
Liam Lawson has claimed that driving a current Red Bull F1 car is as sensitive as playing popular video game Call of Duty.
The recently promoted Red Bull driver is not the first person to make this comparision, with Alex Albon having revealed the exact same thought last year.
In a column he wrote for the Players’ Tribune, Albon wrote: “And when I got into the Red Bull … I mean there was so much nose on the thing that if you blew on the wheel the car would turn.
“If you play Call of Duty, or a game like that, turn your sensitivity up to the highest it will go. That’s what it’s like to drive that car.”
In Lawson’s eyes, Albon’s description of what it is like to drive a Red Bull F1 car was close to perfection.
Red Bull design its cars to be sensitive due to it being Max Verstappen’s preferred driving style; however, it has caused problems for every driver to have partnered the four-time world champion.
During an appearance on the Pitstop podcast, Lawson revealed his thoughts on Albon’s video game comparison.
“I thought it was a brilliant way to describe it, that’s one of the best ways you could describe it,” Lawson said.
“Because I guess if you have low sensitivity, you have a lot of control over what you’re doing. It’s not very aggressive, everything’s happening quite slowly but it’s very stable. It’s very smooth.
“It’s not very aggressive. But when you have really high sensitivity, everything’s all over the place.
“You try to play Call of Duty, and you’re trying to shoot somebody, and your cursor is going all over the place, you have to be really accurate with what you’re doing. And that’s what it’s like, to be honest, with the Red Bull. It’s just very aggressive.”
Adapting to Red Bull
Lawson’s first challenge to be a success at Red Bull will not be taking on Verstappen, it will be understanding how to extract the most performance from a sensitive car.
Once that is understood, the 22-year-old could be in a position to compete with the reigning world champion.
Most drivers do have a preferred driving style; however, Lawson believes a driver should be able to adapt to whatever car they are given.
When asked if a sensitive car will suit Lawson, the driver answered: “I’d like to think so. I don’t know if I really believe in sort of driving styles like everybody.
“I think you can have a car that suits what you like out of a car. You can be a person that likes a car with a lot of front grip, a lot of entry [speed], or you like a car that’s really stable.
“That’s fine, but we’re meant to be professionals. We’re meant to be able to drive what we’re given and maximise that.
“We’re meant to be able to adapt, and so obviously, we’ll find out.
