Lawson wins points in best result of season
Liam Lawson smiles after finishing sixth in the Austrian Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson managed to avoid a first lap pile up in the Austrian Grand Prix to record his best ever result in Formula 1.
Lawson finished sixth with the race won by McLaren's Lando Norris.
After his best qualifying performance of the season of sixth, Lawson just managed to escape a crash between Mercedes Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen on the first corner which forced both drivers out of the race.
The 23-year-old Kiwi did slip to ninth at one stage, but a one stop strategy by the Racing Bulls team helped him climb back up the field.
He spent much of the race defending his position from Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.
Lawson picked up eight points adding to the four he collected in Monaco which means he is now 15th in the standings.
Despite his team-mate Isack Hadjar finishing out of the points, Racing Bulls have improved to sixth in the constructors' championship.
Norris won the race from pole position in a McLaren one-two after fending off championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri in an early wheel-to-wheel duel and then withstanding intense pressure to the end.
The Briton's third victory of the season cut Australian Piastri's Formula One lead from 22 to 15 points after 11 of 24 rounds, with the two McLaren drivers locked in an increasingly private title battle.
Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari with team mate Lewis Hamilton fourth and George Russell, last year's winner in Austria, fifth for Mercedes.
Antonelli was given a three place grid penalty at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend for causing the accident with Verstappen.
Verstappen's first retirement of the season means he stays third overall but is now 61 points behind Piastri.
Alex Albon, Verstappen and Antonelli all failed to finish while Carlos Sainz didn't start.
McLaren top the contructors' standings with 417 points, Ferrari have 210 and Mercedes 209.
- RNZ / Reuters
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