Lawson Reveals Racing Bulls Crisis in Miami

Liam Lawson has revealed that Racing Bulls endured serious performance problems throughout the 2026 Miami Grand Prix weekend after the team’s package failed to operate competitively from the very beginning.

The New Zealand driver started the race from 11th position with strong hopes of fighting for points. However, Lawson’s race quickly became chaotic after an opening-lap battle with Max Verstappen.

During the incident, Lawson was forced off the circuit by Verstappen before later being instructed to give the position back. The situation highlighted Racing Bulls’ struggles to maintain stability during the early race phases.

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“I was just trying to survive the opening lap,” Lawson explained.

From a technical perspective, Lawson admitted Racing Bulls suffered major balance problems throughout the grand prix. According to the New Zealander, the car lacked stability and forced the team into constant setup adjustments in an attempt to recover competitiveness.

However, those efforts failed to produce meaningful improvements. Lawson felt Racing Bulls simply lacked the outright pace required to challenge the midfield rivals throughout the Miami weekend.

The situation deteriorated further on lap six when Lawson’s gearbox failed just as Pierre Gasly attempted an overtake into Turn 17.

The mechanical failure caused Lawson to lose control before colliding with Gasly’s Alpine. Gasly’s car was briefly launched into the air before coming to rest awkwardly against the TecPro barrier, although both drivers escaped without serious injury.

“We were trying to chase the balance, but it just wasn’t enough,” Lawson added.

Miami became one of Racing Bulls’ most difficult weekends of the season as the team failed to demonstrate competitive pace in either qualifying or race conditions. The performance contrasted sharply with earlier rounds where Racing Bulls had appeared relatively strong in the midfield battle.

Lawson admitted the team must now carefully review several critical areas, particularly aerodynamic balance and mechanical stability under low-grip conditions similar to Miami.

Nevertheless, Lawson stressed Racing Bulls still remains optimistic because several development packages are scheduled to arrive throughout the remainder of the 2026 season. The key challenge will be ensuring the team’s development rate exceeds that of its direct rivals.

“We need to make bigger steps than the other teams,” Lawson said.

With Racing Bulls beginning to lose momentum in the midfield and technical problems resurfacing in Miami, the upcoming races are now becoming increasingly important in determining whether Red Bull’s sister team can recover competitiveness or continue falling behind in the 2026 Formula 1 battle.