Liam Lawson's Lessons Lead to Career-Best Qualifying in Azerbaijan

Liam Lawson dramatically rebounded from a career-worst qualifying at Monza to secure a career-best third-place qualifying finish in Azerbaijan. This impressive turnaround came amidst a chaotic session marked by a record number of red flags, unpredictable wind gusts, and changing weather conditions. Lawson and his Racing Bulls team credited a safer, more strategic approach for their success.

Why it matters:

After a "soul-destroying" qualifying in Monza that saw him start 20th, Lawson's stellar performance in Baku demonstrates his rapid learning and adaptability under pressure. This career-best result not only boosts his confidence but also highlights the effectiveness of his team's strategic changes, proving that measured caution can triumph over aggressive risks in unpredictable F1 sessions.

The details:

• Monza Misstep: At the Italian Grand Prix, Lawson lost his flying lap time due to violating track limits at the first Lesmo. With no fuel for a second attempt, he qualified 20th, describing the error as "soul-destroying" and leading to a challenging race.
• Baku Chaos: The Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying was notoriously chaotic, stretching to two hours with six red flags. Factors like cool temperatures, gusty winds, intermittent rain, varying tire compounds, and the narrow Baku street circuit contributed to numerous driver errors.
• Strategic Shift: Unlike Monza, the Racing Bulls team opted for a safer strategy in Baku. Lawson explained, "We made a mistake in Monza and took a bit of a risk... So today, with everything that was going on and the conditions, we played it a bit safer and we maximised laps on track."
• On-Track Time: The team prioritized keeping Lawson on track during green flag periods, allowing him to complete three or four laps and continuously adapt to the changing conditions.
• Q3 Performance: In a Q3 session fragmented by two red flags, Lawson was one of only three drivers to set a flying lap between the stoppages, initially placing him second before finishing third overall.

Between the lines:

Lawson emphasized the mental fortitude required for such a session: "You have to push the limits, and sometimes if you push a little bit harder, you can get rewarded. But obviously it’s very easy to crash here as well." He acknowledged the difficulty of adapting to constantly changing car feelings and corner dynamics over a long lap due to the wind and conditions, highlighting the need for continuous learning during the session itself.

What's next:

Looking ahead to the race, Lawson acknowledges the challenge of maintaining his position against quicker competitors. "Obviously, we’d love to stay where we are, but we’re aware of the guys that we’re racing as well, and we know that there’s some quicker guys behind us," he stated. While confident in the car's long-run pace, he noted that the windy conditions could alter everything. Given Baku's reputation for encouraging overtaking, Lawson anticipates a tough battle, but his qualifying performance suggests that unpredictability could again play into his favor.