Lawson takes positives from 'productive' Monza start

Liam Lawson called Friday at Monza "productive" as he continued standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, ending FP2 12th and just 0.283s behind Max Verstappen after focusing on race runs.

Why it matters:

Lawson's race pace was a weak point at Zandvoort. With Monza demanding efficient long-run speed, Red Bull prioritized data gathering over performance to help him close that gap.

The details:

• Lawson was fourth in FP1, with Verstappen sitting out for Ayumu Iwasa's rookie run.
• He set a 1m23.660s in FP2, spending most of the session on two long stints.
• "We spent most of FP2 just long running... It's good learning," he told Sky Sports F1.
• Slipstreaming was a key theme, and Lawson said a qualifying plan with Verstappen is still under discussion.
• Sky F1's David Croft suggested Lawson could take an engine change, which would trigger a grid penalty. Red Bull has not confirmed.
• Racing Bulls impressed, with Arvid Lindblad seventh and Yuki Tsunoda 10th. Lawson said it's "not a surprise" given VCARB's progress, and noted the two cars feel "completely different to drive" despite similar lap times.

What's next:

Lawson gets one final hour in FP3 before qualifying, where Red Bull's strategy—and any engine penalty—will shape his starting position.