Liam Lawson 'Frustrated' by Racing Bulls' Costly Qualifying Mistake in Mexico

Liam Lawson expressed significant frustration after a Q2 exit at the Mexico City Grand Prix, attributing it to Racing Bulls 'chasing' performance too aggressively despite having a "very fast car." The team's adjustments on new tires pushed the car too far, hindering his ability to advance.

Why it matters:

• In a tightly contested midfield, even minor setup errors can have major consequences for qualifying and race prospects.
• Lawson's frustration highlights the delicate balance teams must strike between maximizing performance and maintaining drivability, especially on unique circuits like Mexico City.
• This incident could be a valuable learning experience for the Racing Bulls team in optimizing car setup under pressure.

The Details:

• Both Liam Lawson and teammate Isack Hadjar showed promising pace during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.
• However, only Hadjar managed to progress to Q3, underscoring the fine margins in performance.
• Lawson's first Q2 lap was aborted due to a mistake, leading him to set an uncompetitive time with used tires on his subsequent attempt, ultimately placing him 15th on the grid.
• Team's Misstep: According to Lawson, Racing Bulls went "a little bit too far" in trying to improve the car's setup for the new tires in Q2.
  • "We basically tried to keep improving the car, and I think we just went a little bit too far," Lawson told RacingNews365.
  • He emphasized, "It's frustrating, because we had a very fast car. We just chased it a little bit too hard."
• Consequences: The aggressive changes made the car "tricky to drive," impacting his ability to extract optimal performance when it mattered most.
• Single Lap Attempt: Lawson only had one meaningful lap at the end of Q2 due to his earlier aborted lap, which prevented him from rectifying the setup issues.

Between the lines:

Lawson's comments suggest a classic F1 dilemma: the constant push for marginal gains can sometimes backfire, especially when track conditions are evolving or when a setup becomes overly sensitive. The midfield is so competitive that teams often push the boundaries, and in this instance, Racing Bulls might have overstepped.

What's next:

• Starting from 15th, Lawson faces a challenging race in Mexico, known for its high altitude and unique aerodynamic demands.
• The team will need to analyze the data thoroughly to understand where the setup went wrong and prevent similar issues in future qualifying sessions.
• Lawson's race performance will be crucial in demonstrating the car's underlying pace despite the qualifying setback.