Karun Chandhok says Liam Lawson has shown why Red Bull aren’t ‘a happy camp’ at Japan Grand Prix
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images Karun Chandhok believes Red Bull’s issues have become clear after Liam Lawson was able to match Max Verstappen’s lap times during practice for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen was the fastest among the Red Bull drivers on Friday at Suzuka, but he only managed P10 in FP2, where Oscar Piastri of McLaren led the session. Verstappen was also 1.
376 seconds off Piastri’s best time, a 1:30. 133 lap. Lawson ended up P12 as Racing Bulls’ top driver, posting a best lap of 1:31.
590, which left him 1. 457s behind Piastri. Isack Hadjar managed only the 15th-fastest time for Red Bull, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad didn’t set a time due to a gearbox issue.
Both teams have faced mounting criticism this season over their performances compared to other constructors such as McLaren and Mercedes – especially with Ferrari currently leading both championships. Liam Lawson’s close FP2 time to Max Verstappen highlights Red Bull’s struggles Max Verstappen spent much of FP2 battling understeer at Suzuka, unable to get the front of his RB22 to respond the way he wanted. It was another frustrating session for Red Bull, and Karun Chandhok pointed out that Liam Lawson’s pace made their issues even more obvious.
Lawson’s best lap in the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 was just 0. 081s slower than Verstappen’s, a gap that Chandhok believes highlights how far Red Bull have to go. The senior team shouldn’t be so close in performance to their junior outfit.