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Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson knew he needed to deliver at the Qatar Grand Prix and will be very satisfied to have added two more points to his tally.
Liam Lawson is potentially the driver under the most pressure in the Formula 1 paddock right now.
The driver market revolves around Red Bull and Racing Bulls as they have the only remaining seats left to be filled for the 2026 season.
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Ted Kravitz delivered a positive update on Lawson’s future during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Honda are pushing for Yuki Tsunoda to be retained, and while their power unit relationship is ending, that doesn’t mean their partnership doesn’t need to continue.
Lawson qualified 12th for Sunday’s race in Qatar, and after a processional afternoon with two manic pit stops thrown into the mix, the New Zealander managed to finish ninth and secure two points.
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Liam Lawson shares ‘damage limitation’ verdict after the Qatar Grand Prix
Lawson was knocked out in Q1 for the Sprint Race and could only recover to 14th, but Sunday’s race was more positive.
He started six positions behind teammate Isack Hadjar, but the Frenchman suffered a late puncture that cost him a healthy haul of points.
Lawson was one of the beneficiaries of that misfortune, and as he crossed the line, his engineer said: “Yeah, I think for us a decent recovery.”
Yuki Tsundoa starts 15th today. Where does he need to finish to convince Red Bull to retain him for 2026?
Lawson replied: “Yeah, exactly. Still, damage limitation. It’s a shame he had to retire for a front left puncture.
Another message came over the team radio: “Good drive from you. Solid. And we managed those tyres very nicely.
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“At the end with free air, those were really good laps to open the DRS gap straight away from Yuki, and that managed from there.
Lawson continued: “I mean, honestly, the traffic is just giving us a lot…”
Finally, he was asked: “How was the balance in free air towards the end, Liam?
Lawson said: “The balance in free air was much better. If anything, I was very limited. Yeah, I think the medium set has been that close, and I think I pressured too much at the start.”
READ MORE: All to know about Racing Bulls from team principal to Red Bull affiliation
Liam Lawson finds the positives from the Qatar Grand Prix
Racing Bulls go into the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi in a very strong position to finish sixth in the constructors’ championship.
Hadjar is fighting to finish in the top 10 of the drivers’ championship as well, while Lawson is in a battle with Oliver Bearman and Tsunoda to try and sneak into 12th.
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Speaking in his official post-race media session, Lawson said: “It’s positive to come away from the race with points after where we started. We had really strong pace when we were in clean air, but then spent the majority of the race in traffic.
“It’s a shame not to have both cars in the points today after the damage Isack experienced towards the end, however, I’m looking forward to closing out the season in Abu Dhabi while we fight for our position in the Constructors’.”
The New Zealander’s future might be resolved by the time the paddock reaches Abu Dhabi.
He’ll be hoping that it’s positive news and he has another Formula 1 campaign to look forward to in 2026.
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