Liam Lawson Confident in Racing Bulls' Pace Despite Singapore FP2 Crash

Liam Lawson remains highly optimistic about the Racing Bulls' performance at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, despite his FP2 session ending prematurely with a crash into the wall. The incident prevented him from completing a low-fuel qualifying simulation, but he believes the underlying pace of the VCARB 02 is "very strong." His teammate, Isack Hadjar, backed this up by finishing second quickest in FP2, indicating the car's potential.

Why it matters:

Lawson's crash was a setback, denying him crucial track time for a qualifying run, which is particularly vital on a challenging street circuit like Singapore. However, his unyielding confidence, bolstered by his teammate's strong performance, suggests that Racing Bulls might be a dark horse this weekend. This could be a significant opportunity for the team to demonstrate its progress and for Lawson to solidify his standing as a promising F1 talent.

The details:

• The Incident: Lawson hit the wall at Turn 17 during FP2, damaging his VCARB 02 and bringing out a red flag. The crash occurred after he took too much kerb in Turn 16, bouncing him into Turn 17 where he lost control.
• Impact on Session: The incident meant Lawson couldn't complete a crucial low-fuel qualifying simulation lap on soft tires, leaving him P17 in FP2 after a P15 finish in FP1.
• Lawson's Take: Despite the crash, Lawson felt the car was "very fast." He noted that he had reverted from some changes made in FP1, and the car felt "a lot more comfortable" in FP2 up to the point of the incident.
• Teammate's Performance: Isack Hadjar, Lawson's teammate, finished FP2 in an impressive second place, just behind Oscar Piastri. This result validates Lawson's belief in the car's strong pace.
• Focus on Short Run Pace: Lawson highlighted that the "short run pace at the moment looks quite good," suggesting the car has the potential to perform well in qualifying.

What's next:

Lawson and the Racing Bulls team will be working overnight to analyze data, make further setup changes, and fine-tune the car. Lawson plans to learn from his FP2 mistake and aims to put together a strong performance in Saturday's qualifying session. If the team can maintain the pace shown by Hadjar and resolve any lingering issues, Racing Bulls could be in contention for a strong qualifying result and potentially points in the race.