Lawson shares speed challenges
Kiwi Formula One hopeful Liam Lawson has given an insight into the physical toll of driving a formula car, saying the G-forces mean a normal person wouldn’t be able to see through corners.
The 20-year-old joined host Simon Bridges on Stuff’s Generally Famous podcast to discuss his incredible rise to the cusp of F1, how Drive to Survive has changed the sport and why coming from Aotearoa is an advantage for young drivers.
The junior driver with the
Red Bull team, who will compete in Japan’s Super Formula Championship for the first time this year, says the fastest he’s driven was in world champion Max Verstappen’s F1 car during testing last season – though he also reached 330kph during two years in Formula Two.
‘‘[The top speed] is not the impressive part of formula cars,’’ Lawson tells Bridges. ‘‘With the downforce they have, it’s the cornering speeds, especially in high-speed corners. That’s where they are a lot faster than normal race cars.’’
The fastest corner he had experienced was at Suzuka in Japan while testing a Super Formula car, reaching up to 200kph during the first s-shaped sector.
But G-forces during highspeed corners put a huge strain on the neck, meaning drivers need an intense strength training regime.
‘‘I always look like an idiot in the gym [with] a band around my head against a pole trainer, trying to hold my head up.’’
Asked by Bridges what would happen if a normal person was to get behind the wheel of a formula car, Lawson says: ‘‘You wouldn’t be able to hold your head up . . . you basically wouldn’t really see where you’re going.
‘‘The first time I drove a
Formula Two car, the first time I braked for the first corner, my head dropped literally into my lap, I couldn’t even see the corner. You literally can’t see where you’re going.’’
Lawson cycles and spends hours in the gym to develop his cardio and strength endurance, respectively.
‘‘We train a lot to be able to cope with the G-forces, because it
■ Simon Bridges is host of Stuff’s podcast Generally Famous.
■ You can find Generally Famous on Apple, Spotify, or any other podcast app or on Stuff.co.nz
is very physical to drive.
‘‘For me, it’s always the neck that goes first, so that’s the thing that I have to really focus on.’’