Racing Bulls narrowly avoided disaster on the last lap of the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix after its drivers touched amid a fierce battle for position.
The Faenza-based squad enjoyed a somewhat successful weekend at Interlagos, with Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar completing a double-points finish to help its chase for midfield supremacy in the Constructors’ Championship.
But it was not all plain sailing, as the pair nearly took each other out at Turn 1 at the start of the final tour.
Lawson, who had expertly executed a one-stop strategy, was coming under extreme pressue from the two-stopping Hadjar, who was on fresher tyres.
Going into the Senna S, Hadjar swooped around the outside of Lawson and the pair banged wheels.
The Kiwi eventually reclaimed the position to take seventh, with Hadjar eighth.
After the race, Hadjar admitted that he encroached on some boundaries with the manoeuvre, but enjoyed the battle nonetheless.
“I pushed it a little too much,” Hadjar told media including Motorsport Week. “Honestly, it was very, very fun.
“He went on a one-stop and at the very last lap, I’m on his gearbox, I think you can’t do any better than that.
“I tried and I overdid it, kind of my mistake. But just the strategy on the first couple of laps was not good enough.”
Lawson ‘respects’ Hadjar’s bold manoeuvre
Some drivers may have been at liberty to have felt miffed at such an overtaking attempt, particularly if was at the hands of their team-mate.
But Lawson said he had “respect” for Hadjar’s move, but was thankful it did not lead to either one or both cars being taken out.
“He was going for a move and it’s a type of corner that obviously curves in and he’s obviously trying to clear me before the braking, and I think he’s misjudged it,” he explained to media including Motorsport Week.
“But obviously we both came out of it, so it was okay, and more importantly for the team to have two cars seventh and eighth is great today.”
“It’s the last lap of a race — honestly, I think there’s no way that the team can expect or anybody can expect [him not to]. As much as it’s [not] the ideal thing to do, there’s no way that we’re not going to race for a position like that.
“So, I respect it. Obviously, we’re lucky that we came out of it, but it’s been a great weekend for the team.”
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