Racing Bulls boss reveals why Liam Lawson’s use of Red Bull’s F1 simulator is restricted

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Racing Bulls opened a new facility in Milton Keynes at the start of last year on the same campus as Red Bull.

While the team is still headquartered in Faenza, Italy, they have relocated their aerodynamics department to the United Kingdom. This makes sense given that Racing Bulls use Red Bull’s wind tunnel, as well as their simulator.

Under the rules, the two teams are required to operate as separate entities. They’re barred from accessing any sensitive information about their nominal competitors.

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Liam Lawson raced for both teams last season, spending just two races at Red Bull before he was demoted to Racing Bulls. Isack Hadjar has moved in the opposite direction after a standout rookie season.

Racing Bulls must consider cost cap before sanctioning simulator use

When Red Bull use their simulator, they have to cover the operating costs and staff wages. But Racing Bulls must also pay for access.

Wary of the cost cap, they have to take a ‘strategic’ approach. As such, Lawson isn’t able to do as much pre-race set-up work as some of his competitors.

Racing Bulls aren’t the only team who don’t have their own simulator. Haas must travel to Maranello to use the Ferrari machine.

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“If we want to use the simulator, it costs us money,” Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer explained to Auto Motor und Sport. “So we have to make a strategic decision about whether to use it.

“But if I own the simulator and it’s located in the factory, I can use it 24 hours a day and I only have to pay the staff.”

Liam Lawson is less experienced than you might think

Max Verstappen has played down the importance of the simulator ahead of the 2026 season even though the cars are changing significantly. Energy management will be critical for the drivers this year.

Lawson hasn’t spent much time on the sim either, but Bayer’s comments suggest this may be a financial decision.

The New Zealander was able to complete his first laps in the real VCARB03 at Imola on Tuesday and is expected to be back on track before the end of the week.

2026 will be Lawson’s fourth different season as an F1 driver, but he’s only started 35 races – less than 1.5 full campaigns. This will be his first full testing programme for Racing Bulls.