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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLiam Lawson has said 2026 F1 cars will offer a ‘very different spectacle’. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLiam Lawson has said 2026 F1 cars will offer a ‘very different spectacle’. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
Speaking trackside during a visit to the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy at Hampton Downs, Lawson offered early insight into the sport\u2019s upcoming regulation overhaul, revealing his first impressions from simulator work ahead of a season he believes represents a genuine reset for drivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t driven the car actually in person yet,\u201d Lawson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far, it\u2019s just been simulator work that I\u2019ve done, and it\u2019s very, very different.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo without sharing too much, it\u2019s going to be a very different spectacle, I think, for fans to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2026 season will mark Lawson\u2019s second full year in F1, but his first entering a new technical cycle from the outset.<\/p>\n
Having arrived at the tail end of the previous regulations, he said the reset offers a rare opportunity for drivers to have more influence as teams develop entirely new cars.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity, when you have every regulation change like this, it sort of allows, and maybe creates a window for us as drivers to put a little bit more effort in, or have that sort of opportunity to develop a car a little bit,\u201d Lawson explained.<\/p>\n
Lawson will also enter 2026 alongside highly rated newcomer Arvid Lindblad, another graduate of the New Zealand-based series.<\/p>\n
While Lawson downplayed any formal leadership label, he acknowledged the value of experience as both drivers adapt to the new regulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe there\u2019s a bit more of a leadership role expected, but at the same time, it\u2019s a new year of new cars. It\u2019s my second year, obviously, in Formula 1,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019ve learned a huge amount in the one year that I\u2019ve done. I\u2019m definitely grateful going into the season with everything I learned last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut with new cars, it\u2019s going to be something that we\u2019re both going to be tackling together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back on familiar ground in New Zealand, Lawson took time to reflect on the role the Formula Regional Oceania championship played in his own rise, a series he won in 2019 and finished runner-up in 2020.<\/p>\n
Now firmly established in F1, he described that period as a turning point in his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s arguably the most important step,\u201d Lawson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that point in 2019 I came into the championship with no plan for the season ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t afford F3 and we didn\u2019t know what I was going to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s been very important for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The series\u2019 timing and global visibility, he added, continues to make it a critical proving ground for young drivers hoping to catch the attention of teams overseas.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt runs at a time of the year where not much else is going on, and it\u2019s great that we have the conditions, obviously, in summer time here, to have this, and it means that there\u2019s a lot of eyes that are on this championship,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s what helped me, and it\u2019s what\u2019s helping these guys who see the eyes that are even here today, that everybody gets to be a part of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s great. Obviously, it puts pressure on these guys as well. They know that everybody\u2019s watching.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s very, very important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lawson\u2019s visit home also provided a rare chance to disconnect after what he described as a long and mentally draining season on the F1 calendar.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m terrible at getting back to people and on messages and stuff like that. So when I get home, it\u2019s a big switch off,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething about landing the plane in New Zealand after 10 months. It\u2019s a very, very nice feeling.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s been really cool to be home.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Racing Bulls and Red Bull set to be the first teams to launch their 2026 cars this Thursday, Lawson said the build-up to the new season is already accelerating, particularly with the increased preparation demands of the new regulations and the continued growth of F1\u2019s global profile.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think anybody or anything can prepare you for the actual pressure of being in Formula One,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s something that you don\u2019t have time to really think about.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just week in, week out \u2014 if you have a bad weekend, you get one or two days to get over it, and you move on to the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n
All the key dates ahead of the 2026 F1 season<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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