Lawson 'Surprised' After Monaco Top-10 Qualifying Result

Liam Lawson admitted he was pleasantly surprised to secure a spot inside the top 10 at the Monaco Grand Prix, qualifying 10th and reaching Q3 for the second consecutive year at the street circuit. The Racing Bulls driver converted a difficult Friday into a timely Saturday rebound, revealing that the team implemented far more setup changes than usual to unlock the VCARB 03's true pace when it mattered most.

Why it matters:

Qualifying position is often the single biggest factor in determining the Monaco race result, as overtaking around the tight Monte Carlo streets remains notoriously difficult. Lawson's Q3 appearance provides Racing Bulls with a legitimate opportunity to score points and validates the aggressive setup direction the team pursued after struggling in practice. It also underscores the New Zealander's ability to deliver under pressure, particularly after the car showed promising low-speed performance in Canada but proved tricky to harness during Thursday and Friday running.

The details:

• Lawson explained that while the team entered the weekend feeling optimistic after strong low-speed form in Canada, Friday practice was a struggle due to traffic and an inability to string together clean laps.
• The team rolled out extensive changes to the VCARB 03 across Monaco, with Lawson noting they modified the car "way more than normal" before finding the right window for qualifying.
• Teammate Arvid Lindblad failed to match Lawson's pace and was eliminated in Q2, qualifying 15th after what the team described as an unclean lap.
• Looking ahead to the race, Lawson pointed out that the absence of straight mode (SM) and the constant use of full boost means there will be minimal speed differences between cars on the straights, effectively eliminating passing opportunities and placing total emphasis on raw race pace and launch off the line.

What's next:

Starting from 10th gives Lawson and Racing Bulls a platform to secure their first points of the weekend in a race where track position is king. Chief Technical Officer Tim Goss praised Lawson's near-perfect qualifying execution and expressed confidence that the team had finally given him a car capable of attacking the circuit with full commitment. If the team executes a clean race on Sunday, a top-10 finish is a realistic and valuable target.