Liam Lawson ended qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a mix of frustration and disappointment. The New Zealander will start from 12th on the grid after failing to reach Q3, despite showing promising pace early in the session.
The frustration was compounded by his strong performance at the same circuit last year. In 2025, he qualified third and finished fifth. However, this weekend he struggled for outright speed from the start. He was only 18th in FP3, forcing the team to work overtime before qualifying.
“We've just honestly been slow this weekend,” Lawson said. “We made a step for quali, which was good. The lap was really good up until turn 16. I just had no tow. I tried to start close to Max, but his out lap was too quick. By the end of the lap he'd pulled away. It's super frustrating watching your delta climb, and you lose all the time you've made up.”
The main issue for Lawson was the lack of a tow on Baku's long straights. He attempted to follow Max Verstappen to benefit from the slipstream, but the world champion's out lap pace was too strong, preventing him from getting close enough. As a result, he lost valuable time in the fast sectors and missed out on Q3.
Racing Bulls chief technical officer Tim Goss admitted the team struggled to bring the car back into its optimal performance window. “It has been a challenging weekend for us through the practice and qualifying sessions, and we have definitely lacked some of our usual competitiveness,” Goss said. “At this circuit, the drivers need a car that they can trust in the heavy braking zones and into the tight 90 degree corners. We are happy we have progressed, but there is clearly more to understand to bring the package back into its usual performance window.”
The result was made worse by the fact that both Alpine drivers made it through to Q3. Pierre Gasly qualified seventh, while Franco Colapinto secured 10th. Both cars will start ahead of Lawson, adding pressure in the fight for fifth in the constructors' championship between Racing Bulls and Alpine.
Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad also endured a difficult qualifying session, finishing 15th after a challenging weekend that included a crash in FP2. There was better news elsewhere in the Red Bull stable, with Isack Hadjar producing an impressive performance on his return from a wrist injury that sidelined him for three races. He qualified fourth.
At the front, George Russell dominated qualifying to claim pole position with a 1m42.526s, finishing 0.837s clear of Charles Leclerc. The session also saw an incident involving Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who crashed out and ended his qualifying early.
Baca Juga
Carlos Sainz dan Sergio Perez dijatuhi penalti grid di GP Baku. Sainz turun 5 posisi, Perez 3 posisi. Simak dampaknya bagi balapan.
Isack Hadjar yakin bisa start kedua di kualifikasi F1 Azerbaijan 2026 jika tidak absen. Ia finis keempat, ungguli Verstappen, dan waspadai start Red Bull.
Max Verstappen frustrasi dengan masalah mesin Red Bull di kualifikasi F1 Baku, harus start kedelapan. Simak penyebab dan dampaknya bagi balapan.
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