Lawson Returns to Racing Bulls as Lindblad Hits Trouble in Baku

Liam Lawson's return to Racing Bulls started well in Baku, but teammate Arvid Lindblad's FP2 crash brought an early end to Thursday's running and left the team with work to do.

Why it matters:

Lawson is back in his own car after covering for Isack Hadjar at Red Bull. The team needs both drivers to build momentum on a street circuit where confidence is crucial — and Lindblad is learning that lesson the hard way.

The details:

• Lawson was seventh in FP1, with Lindblad eighth.
• Lawson dropped to 12th in FP2 and had a near-miss when Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari suddenly appeared in front of him.
• Lindblad clipped the wall through the castle section 20 minutes in, causing significant damage and a red flag.
• The rookie apologised, saying he missed by a millimetre — his second FP2 crash in as many races after hitting trouble in Madrid.

Team principal Alan Permane refused to criticise him: "It's not the time to come down on him like a ton of bricks. It's a little bit of rookie enthusiasm."

Permane also welcomed Lawson back, saying he works well with Lindblad and lifts the team.

What's next:

Lawson said the car "feels like home" but admitted the team lost performance in FP2. They'll work overnight on low-speed corner balance to try to get both cars into the top 10 in qualifying on Friday.