Lawson 'could have easily made it' to Q3 without Tsunoda crash

At the end of his second qualifying session since his return on board a Formula 1, Liam Lawson was not really satisfied with his 12th place on Saturday. The New Zealander was eliminated in Q2 at the wheel of a Racing Bulls which nevertheless had the potential to go higher. Unfortunately, the new driver of the Italian team saw his last attempt annihilated by the red flag caused by Yuki tsunoda, who crashed into the wall at the entrance to the stadium. The Japanese, who performed very well during Free Practice, ruined his chances and those of the drivers behind him by ending his effort in the barrier, including those of his teammate.

Inevitably, Liam Lawson had the impression of an unfinished job on Saturday evening, at the end of qualifying. According to him, passage to Q3 was possible with a final lap which was an improvement on the first sector. "We had a good first sector, we had gained almost a tenth. It was very close, honestly, recognizes the rookie. Looking at the times in Q2, it was extremely close. But throughout the weekend we improved.

“It was a decent lap. If we had completed the lap we were on, I think we could have easily gone through [to Q3], he says. So it's frustrating. But it happens. It's a shame because the team gave us both a very good car this weekend, which was capable of reaching Q3. It's obvious that we were among the last [to start], that's the risk we took."

Lawson remains optimistic about the race

Liam Lawson will therefore have to start in the heart of the pack in Mexico, he who had managed a fantastic comeback last week in Austin by climbing from 19th place on the grid to 9th place at the finish. Despite the frustration of being eliminated in Q2, the New Zealander remains confident and optimistic for the Grand Prix, reassured by the pace displayed by the VCARB-01. “We’ll have to find a way to get into some open air. It’ll be tough, but if we have some speed on the straight we should be able to overtake. Our race pace looks pretty good, so I’m confident we can improve and we can fight for points tomorrow.”

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