![\"Liam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/LawsonShakedown.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLiam Lawson on track during the Barcelona shakedown. Image: Racing Bulls<\/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 on track during the Barcelona shakedown. Image: Racing Bulls<\/p>\n
The New Zealander completed his final laps of the closed Barcelona shakedown on Thursday morning, adding 64 tours to his tally after an 88-lap opening day as Racing Bulls focused on understanding its all-new car and power unit under the 2026 regulations.<\/p>\n
Lawson described the test as a steep but encouraging learning curve, with the team prioritising mileage and adaptability over any early conclusions about form.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a positive and interesting three days of testing here in Barcelona,\u201d Lawson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to learn for all of us as the 2026 car is very different to drive, so I just tried to adapt as much as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n
The traits of the new-generation machinery were immediately apparent, particularly the reduced downforce and the demands of energy deployment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe car has less downforce compared to the past, so it moves around quite a bit; there\u2019s a lot of power when the battery is fully deployed but the way in which you have to manage it is something completely new,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Racing Bulls completed its program without major interruptions, something Lawson highlighted as a key positive at such an early stage of development.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been trying several things on the car and it\u2019s been great to keep building mileage on the new power unit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a pretty strong test in terms of reliability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the progress, Lawson was clear that comparisons with rival teams are premature, with limited running and radically different concepts across the grid.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of expectations, it\u2019s very hard to say at this point, as we don\u2019t know where everyone else is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that will stay quite unknown for a while, but we\u2019re focused on our own job and want to keep improving in order to be in the best shape possible for the first race in Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n
That outlook echoed his assessment across the week, repeatedly stressing development over early headlines.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just keep learning,\u201d Lawson said earlier in the test.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re making, obviously, big gains, but so is everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Arvid Lindblad sharing duties across the three permitted days of running, Lawson also pointed to the value of collaboration as Racing Bulls adapts to a new technical era.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall, we ended the test in a much better place to where we started on Monday,\u201d Lawson said.<\/p>\n
Attention now turns to official pre-season testing in Bahrain, where hotter conditions and a very different circuit will provide the next reference point for the VCARB 03.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next test in Bahrain is in less than two weeks so we\u2019ll keep collecting data, but it\u2019s a completely different track to here, so I\u2019ll be curious to see how the car performs in those conditions,\u201d Lawson said.<\/p>\n
Team principal Alan Permane said the shakedown delivered exactly what Racing Bulls needed as it prepares for official testing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel we hit the ground running with the new car and power unit, and they\u2019ve both run very reliably since the first run,\u201d Permane said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe achieved everything we set out to do here at the Shakedown, and now we feel ready and look forward to going to the official Bahrain Pre-Season Testing in less than two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Piastri hits track on disrupted day four of Barcelona F1 shakedown<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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