Liam Lawson secured his best result with Red Bull Racing at the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing sixth at the Madrid circuit. The New Zealander impressed throughout the weekend, though he had to accept an unfavourable strategy due to a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period.
This was Lawson's third appearance as a substitute for the injured Isack Hadjar. Previously, he finished seventh at Zandvoort and fourteenth at Monza. Now, in Madrid, he improved his best finish and scored valuable points for the team.
Hard Tyre Strategy and VSC Frustration
Starting from ninth, Lawson made a strong start and passed Franco Colapinto for sixth. However, the VSC triggered by Lance Stroll's retirement changed the strategic picture. Lawson, who started on the hard tyre intending to run a long first stint, was unable to take advantage of the VSC as others did.
"That was frustrating for us," Lawson told Sky Sports F1. "Starting on the hard we obviously planned on going long, and unfortunately the VSC was not ideal. And I just passed Franco as well, and taking a lot of risk to do it. It's very hard to overtake here. So yeah, not ideal strategy-wise, but I think from where we started a P6 is okay."
Lawson stayed out until Lap 45 before finally making his stop. He emerged ahead of Colapinto and Oscar Piastri after doing enough on his ageing tyres to protect his position. He eventually returned to sixth when Pierre Gasly made his long-awaited stop on the penultimate lap.
Russell Incident and Self-Reflection
One key moment was when George Russell managed to pass him. Lawson admitted a mistake contributed to losing the position. "With George I locked up and went too wide. So I don't know if I would have been able to keep him there," he said. "I don't think it would have mattered at that point anyway. I still had to box. So it would have been challenging."
Nevertheless, Lawson remained positive about his overall performance. "It's been good. To score points in a couple of races. I think the speed this weekend, especially in quali yesterday was very strong," he added. "It's a shame we couldn't maximise Q3 because I think we had the potential to have both cars right up there in the top five. But yeah, it's a good result from where we started. So I'm pretty happy."
Championship Impact and Hadjar's Future
With this sixth-place finish, Lawson remains ninth in the drivers' championship and cuts the gap to Hadjar, who sits eighth, to 12 points. This result is also a positive signal for Red Bull Racing as they await clarity on Hadjar's condition.
Hadjar has now missed three consecutive races after suffering a wrist injury while training ahead of Zandvoort. The team is unwilling to bring him back until he is fully comfortable. Team principal Laurent Mekies said in Madrid that Hadjar's recovery remained on schedule, with simulator running expected to form part of the assessment before Baku.
The decision on the Red Bull seat for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be made soon. Whether Hadjar returns or Lawson continues to impress, one thing is clear: Lawson has proven he deserves consideration.
Baca Juga
Charles Leclerc finis keempat di GP Spanyol setelah berharap keajaiban Safety Car yang tak kunjung datang. Ferrari masih tertinggal di kualifikasi, menjadi fokus perbaikan utama.
Nico Rosberg menilai Carlos Sainz harus bertanggung jawab atas minimnya overtaking di sirkuit Madring. Kritik pedas mantan juara dunia F1 ini menyoroti peran Sainz sebagai ambassador.
Max Verstappen marah dengan insiden tikungan pertama bersama Lewis Hamilton di F1 Spanyol, menyebutnya 'balapan Mickey Mouse'. Simak detailnya.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!