Liam Lawson admits he was left “mentally drained” by F1’s new 2026 cars after Japanese GP

Liam Lawson revealed he was left "mentally drained" following the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.

After securing a hard-fought ninth-place finish at Suzuka, the Racing Bulls driver explained the mental toll that the new regulation cars have on the drivers.

"Good, a little bit mentally drained," he told F1 TV after the race. "It's very intense this year. You have a lot more that you're thinking about when you're driving. So, it was actually quite a tough race."

The new regulations have introduced a dramatic power unit change, with an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power. Other changes include active aerodynamics, the use of a boost button, and smaller and lighter cars.

When asked to elaborate on what it's like to drive the new machinery, the New Zealander added: "Well, you're learning a lot through the race. And to be honest, at the start, like Gabi [Gabriel Bortoleto] passed me and I didn't even see it coming, before Turn 13, and I was like, 'Brilliant, I've lost a place'. 

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

"But then he had no battery going into 16, so I just passed him back without even doing it on purpose. So, we're sort of all figuring out through the race, OK, if we use our deployment here, we don't have it the next straight.

"And that's what was happening to everybody. I was watching the guys in front. One would overtake before the last chicane, then get overtaken before Turn 1. And in the end, I had Esteban [Ocon] behind me, and I think he realised this as well, and we just both stayed quite sustainable in similar modes, and I was able to keep him behind."

The paddock now has a five-week break before the next race in Miami due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April.