Lawson maintains momentum

Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson finished in the points for the fifth grand prix in a row after coming sixth at the Silverstone circuit in the UK.

The result on July 6 matched the New Zealander’s best finish so far this season, when he took sixth in Monaco, and he also picked up an extra point by snaring eighth in the sprint race a day earlier.

Lawson, pictured, started the British Grand Prix 10th on the grid before a double overtake of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on the first lap moved him into eighth.

He spent much of the race in that spot before retirements by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen helped him move up two more places before the chequered flag.

Lawson remains 10th in the drivers’ championship and is three points behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

His efforts also helped lift Racing Bulls to 59 points in the teams’ standings and they are now only one point behind fifth-placed Alpine, who have 60.

“It was a fantastic result for the team today. We had a strong start and great race pace, so I feel very happy with how everything came together,” says Lawson. 

“The upgrades we brought to Canada were first tested in Barcelona with the high-speed balance, and it has felt really good each weekend since. 

“I’m super proud of all the hard work the team has put in, meaning we’ve come away with points from both races. 

“We have some tough tracks coming up, but hopefully we’ll continue to keep this positive momentum going.”

Charles Leclerc steered his Ferrari to success at Silverstone, finishing ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton respectively.

Antonelli still leads the drivers’ standings on 179 points, with Russell second on 154 and Hamilton completing the top three with 147.

The next race in the Formula 1 championship is the Belgian Grand Prix on July 20 (NZ time).