Lawson Praises 'Very Positive' Start for Red Bull-Ford Power Unit in Barcelona

Liam Lawson has delivered an encouraging early assessment of Red Bull’s new in-house power unit developed with Ford, describing the opening day of testing in Barcelona as "very, very positive." The team completed 195 laps without major issues, matching the mileage of rivals Mercedes and Ferrari, while Isack Hadjar topped the timing sheets.

Why it matters:

This marks a critical milestone for the Milton Keynes outfit as they transition to running their own powertrains with technical backing from Ford. After relying on Honda for years, proving reliability immediately is essential to establish confidence in the new project before the season begins. A smooth debut alleviates fears about the teething troubles often associated with completely new engine programs.

The details:

• Reliability Focus: Lawson emphasized that the primary objective was reliability, noting that any issues encountered were merely precautionary rather than actual mechanical failures.
• Mileage Match: The new power unit logged 195 laps, putting it on par with Mercedes and Ferrari and suggesting the engineering team has hit their initial durability targets.
• Driver Feedback: Both Lawson and Hadjar expressed surprise at the smoothness of the operation. Hadjar, who set the fastest time of the day ahead of George Russell, admitted the mileage exceeded expectations for a debut run.
• Verstappen's Turn: While the young drivers handled the shakedown, four-time world champion Max Verstappen is scheduled to take over the driving duties for the remainder of the test to provide more detailed feedback.

What's next:

The team will continue to analyze data overnight as Verstappen steps into the RB22 to push the power unit's performance limits. The focus will likely shift from pure reliability to performance mapping and long-run consistency in the coming days.