F1: Liam Lawson scores season-best qualifying result in Austria
Kiwi Formula One driver Liam Lawson has secured his best qualifying result of the season, locking in P6 for this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.
The Racing Bulls driver impressed with a 1.04.926s lap in Q3, placing him ahead of both reigning world champion Max Verstappen and teammate Isack Hadjar, who could only manage P13.
'It feels like it's been a long time [coming],' said Lawson after the session.
'It's really cool to have a good quali.
"Everything's felt really good, I've felt really good, and we've done a lot of work on the car and on my side as well, just to make it more comfortable for me.
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"It's nice to show it today, but obviously tomorrow is obviously the important day."
The result comes as a crucial time for the Racing Bulls driver, who has only managed one points finish this season so far, amidst swirling speculation about his unconfirmed race seat for 2026.
Despite showing consistent promising pace in practice sessions, Lawson has struggled to deliver when it counts in qualifying, only managing 19th in Canada and 13th in Spain.
A successful qualifying result will be a confidence boost for the Kiwi, who has been steadily rebuilding his form after being dropped by Red Bull's senior team earlier this season.
Liam Lawson of New Zealand driving the (30) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 02 on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 28, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. (Source: Getty)
"The last couple of weekends the pace has been there through practice, just in quali it wasn't ... so it's cool to get it across the line," Lawson said.
Max Verstappen was denied a sixth-straight pole position at the Red Bull Ring, after a late yellow-flag in Q3 from Alpine's Pierre Gasly disrupted the final moments of the qualifying session.
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McLaren's Lando Norris capitalised, setting a blistering time of 1:03971s to take pole position- more than half a second ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who will join him on the front row.
Formula One's Austrian Grand Prix begins at 1am on Monday (NZ time).
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NZ Herald
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Formula 1: Liam Lawson puts himself back into Red Bull contention with Austrian Grand Prix finish
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an hour ago
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Formula 1: Liam Lawson praised by team after career-best finish in Austrian Grand Prix
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RNZ News
2 hours ago
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Liam Lawson qualifies with best F1 result after 'emotional' season so far
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson. Photo: XAVI BONILLA / AFP Liam Lawson has converted his sixth place in qualifying to a sixth place finish in the Austrian Grand Prix... his best ever result in F1 . The 23-year-old Kiwi did need a few things to go his way , but he finally had some luck on his side. Lawson only just managed to avoid a first lap pile up that took out four-time world champion Max Verstappen and Mercedes' rookie Kimi Antonelli. Earlier this year luck probably wouldn't have been on his side, but it was on Monday. "After the first lap, I thought it might be over, but the team made a brave call with the one-stop strategy, it worked out perfectly," he said afterwards. The result is a high in what has been an emotional roller-coaster of a season for him. "It's been a very tough year and been very emotional, so to do that today is very, very cool." Lawson did slip back in the field but Racing Bulls decision to go with just the one pit stop helped him back up the field and he was the last driver to finish on the same lap as winner Lando Norris. "It was a great weekend, and it feels good to execute everything well. "It's been a tough season so far, with a lot of potential, and in this race, we were quick where it mattered and managed to see it through." Once again it was Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso that was on his heels for the majority of the race and Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies praised Lawson for his driving. "The pace and the race execution were brilliant, Liam was unstoppable and defended for 70 laps to Fernando," Mekies said. "It's never easy to start in a new team midseason, and he needed time to get used to our car. Yesterday's great laps show the progress he is doing, together with the team." New Zealand driver Liam Lawson avoids a crash between Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix Photo: ERWIN SCHERIAU / AFP Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull car was 16th and last in Austria and is now behind Lawson in the drivers' championship. The Japanese has failed to pick up points in the last four races. After being dropped from Red Bull after just two grand prix at the start of the season, Lawson was asked if he felt better that it looked like it was more the car than the driver that was the problem with the number two Red Bull. "Potentially yes, but at the same time I had two races and didn't get to grips with it at all in that time so it's something I won't know. "At the moment honestly I'm just focused on converting these weekends." Next weekend the circuit moves to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. "The goal now is to carry this momentum through the rest of the season. We need to take the positives, keep fighting and keep scoring points," Lawson said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
