Despite reaching Q2, Lawson disappointed with his qualifying at Suzuka

It took until his demotion to Racing Bulls for Liam Lawson to reach Q2 this season, but the New Zealander remains disappointed with his performance.

Published 05/04/2025 à 12:58

Michael Duforest

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Despite reaching Q2, Lawson disappointed with his qualifying at Suzuka

© Antonin Vincent / DPPI

Beaten by his teammate Isack Hadjar, who will start six positions ahead of him this Sunday, Liam Lawson still beat his replacement at Red Bull, Yuki tsunodaAfter a Friday where the Racing Bulls dazzled with their pace, Lawson failed to capitalize in qualifying. His teammate advanced to Q3, which was not the case for the #30. The cause was balance issues with his VCARB 02.

“It went well, even if the ending was honestly disappointing.”, he explained to the official F1 website. "I think our car was competitive on Friday, and Q1 didn't go too badly either. We struggled to find the optimal balance in qualifying, and in Q2 there wasn't much more we could adjust. Unfortunately, that meant I struggled on my last run. I still felt it was a good lap, so we'll analyze that."

After two days of brilliant sunshine, Suzuka could find itself in the rain this Sunday. So, no fear of more grass fires, as we've seen on numerous occasions during each of the sessions! For Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls, the skies could provide an opportunity to climb back into the points. Although in Australia, the young New Zealander got lost in one of the many downpours, he clearly wouldn't mind a few drops in his quest for his first points of the season.

“The rain could change everything, of course, but it would also present us with an opportunity to come back. We've seen in the past that a lot can happen here, and the new asphalt will be very different to ride in the rain as well. The water might run off a little less than before. From where I'm starting, a little rain definitely wouldn't bother me.”

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1 Comment (s)

Yves-Henri RANDIER

05/04/2025 at 01:51 a.m.

Disappointed with his qualifications at Suzuka, yes... but certainly delighted and reassured to be ahead of his replacement at Red Bull, especially since old Franz Tost believes that Lawson will never reach Tsunoda's level!

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