Lawson celebrates ‘strong race’
Liam Lawson impressed Formula 1 fans with another impressive drive after claiming seventh in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and even being in the top two at one stage of the race.
The New Zealander drove brilliantly in the downpours of qualifying in Brazil and started third on the grid.
He made a good getaway in his Visa Cash App Racing Bulls car and overtook McLaren’s Lando Norris for second on the opening lap and stayed there for the early stages.
However, once the track started to dry and the top teams got their tyres working better, Lawson gradually fell down the order during the race on November 9.
He was seventh as the contest neared its conclusion and was battling to keep Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc behind him.
The pair went wheel-to-wheel and Leclerc made contact when executing a pass but the stewards penalised the Frenchman post-race, which lifted Lawson back to seventh place.
“We had a strong race and made the most of everything we had available,” says Lawson.
“I had great grip on the opening lap and was able to fight with the top teams, but over a long stint we don’t quite have the pace to match them, so I focused on not losing too much time.
“I would have liked it to stay wet the whole race. It would have been cool. I probably would have had more of a shot there. But at the moment, we’re topping the midfield as a team, and that’s what we’re targeting every weekend.
“We’ve had a really decent tripleheader with plenty of positives to take away, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed it.
“I’ll take a few days to relax and recharge before the final few races of the season. I’m already looking forward to heading back to Las Vegas."
Norris went on to win in Sao Paulo, with the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completing the podium.
The latest results mean Lawson is ninth in the drivers’ standings with 89 points and Racing Bulls are fifth on the constructors’ ladder with 114 points after extending their advantage over Alpine in sixth.
Alan Permane, Racing Bulls team principal, welcomed another strong weekend from the team with their second driver Arvid Lindblad 11th at the chequered flag after starting from 18th.
“It was an exciting first lap from Liam, jumping from third to second and keeping that position for some time,” says Permane.
“That being said, we have to be realistic that it would’ve always been a big ask to beat any of the top teams.
“As such, our focus was on making the correct strategy decisions when it mattered, which we did.”
The next round of the F1 championship is the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22 (NZ time).
