On the latest episode of the Mind Set Win podcast, host Lisa Ramuschkat talks to Oracle Red Bull Racing reserve driver Liam Lawson about how deals with the pressure of coming up through the ranks of professional motorsports, what it’s like being on hold as a reserve driver and how he differentiates between what he can and can’t control.
“When you’re making decisions at extreme speeds, it’s very split second, and the strain that you’re putting on your mind – if you’re overthinking situations you’re going to make mistakes,” explains Lawson. “But a lot of the time it’s not just down to us and how we drive.”
What makes an F1 driver? According to Lawson, it’s an unshakable self-confidence, something that he was born with. “Every driver has to have the self-confidence to tell themselves that they’re good enough for it,” Lawson explains. “It’s not something I learned over time, it’s something I was born with.”
When the then seven-year-old set his sights on becoming an F1 driver, despite warnings it would be almost impossible, he kept his self-confidence and began his way to a Formula One career by entering Go-kart racing.
Growing up in New Zealand, Lawson expected difficulties transferring to a professional career due to the sheer geographical distance from the hub of motorsports racing in Europe. But in 2017, with the support of his family, he entered the European Formula Four racing championship with Dutch team Van Amersfoort Racing. In the next season he was picked up by Red Bull, which changed everything.
But pressure increased for Lawson, and his driving coach Enzo Mucci had to transfer into the role of a mental coach to help Lawson navigate his developing career towards the pinnacle of motorsports.
Mucci played a pivotal role in helping Lawson deal with the pressure he was under, and the impact this had on the young driver. “After a result that I felt wasn’t fair or was out of my control I was very emotional about it, especially towards him,” says Lawson. “Luckily Enzo was good at dealing with that.”
