Liam Lawson will start the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix from the second row of the grid after a stellar qualifying performance at Interlagos.
Lawson put in a fine shift for Racing Bulls during a tricky qualifying session on Saturday at Interlagos.
With the heavens opening up, the soaking wet tarmac neutralised the field, and the Kiwi racing driver took full advantage of the opportunity.
He posted the fifth-fastest lap of Q3 and with Charles Leclerc and George Russell’s grid drops, Lawson is slated to start the race on Sunday from third.
That said, Lawson conceded that he did not maximise the pace in his car after a somewhat interrupted second flying run.
His first flying effort of the top-10 shootout had handed him provisional pole momentarily, but he was forced to essentially abort his second effort as the rain intensified, leaving no scope for improvement.
“Obviously, we’re in a good place for tomorrow, but we didn’t quite maximise it,” Lawson said.
“We had really good speed today, and I tried to make a gap before the last lap. I caught Fernando [Alonso] in the first one, then I aborted, and then it rained. So, I didn’t really get to do that final lap. But obviously, we get lucky tomorrow with a couple of places.”
But looking forward to the race, Lawson is optimistic about his chances. “I think we have more of a chance, probably, in the wet,” he added.
“But there’s also a big risk with that, and we have a quick car in the dry.”
Liam Lawson F1 future admission after F1 Sao Paulo GP qualifying heroics
With Nikola Tsolov’s meteoric rise and Arvid Lindblad’s stellar rookie season so far, Lawson’s future at Racing Bulls has been put in jeopardy.
The Faenza-based squad are yet to reveal its line-up for 2027, and Lawson is aware that despite strong results, things are yet to be decided in his favour.
“I mean, yeah, but it’s been like this for months now,” Lawson told F1TV.
“So, at this point, honestly, every time I get in the car, I’m just trying to enjoy it. And today I did.
“You know, there’s a lot of horsepower in these cars, not much grip today. So, you’re really, like, there are places where it’s probably five seconds before you get to full throttle and it’s different for us.
“So, yeah, at the moment, being in the car is the most enjoyable part, I’d say.”
Lawson current finds himself ninth in the 2026 drivers’ standings with 83 points to his name.
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