Liam Lawson says Red Bull Powertrains first engine is "Exceptional" despite early doubts

A statement start for Red Bull Powertrains

Liam Lawson has described Red Bull’s debut Formula 1 power unit as "exceptional", praising the progress made by Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT) despite uncertainty surrounding the project as recently as last year.

Expectations were modest heading into the campaign. Reliability concerns surfaced during pre-season testing and across the opening two rounds, reinforcing the sense that the project would require time to stabilise. Yet early performances have exceeded those initial projections.

From internal doubt to competitive reality

"I think it's exceptional, to be honest," the New Zealander said, while also referencing Isack Hadjar’s retirement in Melbourne. "We had some issues during Melbourne, and unfortunately for Red Bull, they had a car drop out as well."

While reliability setbacks have not been entirely absent, Lawson made clear that the broader trajectory is far more encouraging than many inside the team once anticipated.

"But with new regulations, it's not expected, but I think there's more understanding," he explained. "And as much as it's frustrating for all of us, from where we were a year ago... we weren't hearing amazing things, or we weren't super confident about it, and now, all of a sudden, we have quite a strong engine."

That shift—from muted confidence to tangible competitiveness—has been central to the early narrative of Red Bull’s in-house power unit programme.

Early season impact on track

Although Lawson endured a difficult start to the season in Australia, failing to score after a poor launch, Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad opened his account on his Formula 1 debut at the same event.

"And for us, it really helped us in Melbourne," Lawson said of the engine’s contribution. "It's extremely positive. So we're obviously continuing to learn and find more performance, which is the goal through the season. But I think they've done a very, very good job."

Lawson himself responded strongly in Shanghai, securing seventh place in both the sprint and the grand prix, underlining the growing competitiveness of the package.

For a project that carried considerable internal uncertainty just 12 months ago, Red Bull Powertrains’ first engine has quickly shifted perception—from cautious optimism to genuine belief.