Liam Lawson Narrows Gap to Verstappen at Zandvoort

Liam Lawson went to Zandvoort with a simple, brutal target in his head: get within three-tenths of Max Verstappen in equal machinery. For a driver parachuted into Red Bull’s RB22 with no prior mileage, it sounded ambitious.

He did better than that.

By the end of his two-race stint, Lawson had sliced that gap to just 0.115s. Against the most dominant driver-car combination of this era, with zero race-weekend experience in the RB22, that margin stands as arguably the Kiwi’s most striking statement of the campaign so far. Numbers don’t usually tell the whole story. This one does a lot of heavy lifting.

Yet while Lawson’s stock quietly climbs, his short-term future remains tangled in someone else’s medical file.

Hadjar race against time for Monza

There is still no firm answer on Isack Hadjar’s fitness for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, with a crucial week separating Zandvoort and the season’s fastest race. The team has not put a timeline on when a decision must be made, and behind the scenes the message is clear: nothing is guaranteed.

Multiple sources have confirmed to the Herald that Hadjar has neither been ruled in nor ruled out. He will be given as long as possible to prove he is fit enough to race at Monza, a circuit that punishes any physical weakness with its relentless braking zones and high-speed changes of direction.

The contingency plans underline the uncertainty. One source suggested that, in an absolute worst-case scenario, Hadjar could still take part in the opening free practice session, then hand the car to Lawson for the remainder of the weekend if he is later deemed unfit to continue. That kind of mid-weekend switch would not be straightforward; it would require formal approval from the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, and would invite scrutiny up and down the paddock.

For now, the scenario sits on the shelf. But it exists. And Lawson is staying ready.

Mugello mileage keeps Lawson sharp

While the medical updates drag on, Lawson has been busy doing the one thing that really matters for a young driver on the cusp: piling on laps.

He climbed back into the RB22 at Mugello, taking the opening day of a Pirelli tyre test at the Tuscan circuit. It was not a headline-grabbing grand prix outing, but it was valuable work. Mugello is old-school, fast, and unforgiving, the sort of place that exposes a driver who is even slightly off rhythm. Lawson treated it like an extended audition.

The test itself served Pirelli’s long game. The tyre supplier used the running as a research and development exercise, gathering data on compounds earmarked for the 2027 Formula One season. For the drivers, it meant long runs, varying loads, and a steady stream of feedback. For Lawson, it meant time to breathe inside a Red Bull cockpit without the pressure of a qualifying clock.

He logged 116 laps around Mugello – effectively two full race distances – before handing the car over to Racing Bulls reserve Ayumu Iwasa overnight. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri shared the programme on the other side of the garage, a reminder of the level of company Lawson now keeps as a matter of routine.

Those miles will not show up on any championship table. They may prove priceless all the same.

Monza weekend begins on September 4 (NZT), with the race set for September 7. Between now and then, Hadjar fights to be fit, Red Bull weighs its options, and Lawson keeps quietly closing the gap to the standard-bearer in the other garage. How long before that 0.115s becomes something more than a number on a timing sheet?