Racing Bulls explains why Liam Lawson sat out F1 session

Liam Lawson was unable to take part in sprint qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix after a hydraulic problem forced him to stop early in FP1, leaving him with just a handful of laps across the entire day. The Racing Bulls driver pulled over at Turn 4 during the opening practice session, triggering the first of three red flags, and the team could not repair the car in time for the afternoon's competitive running.

Why it matters:

A sprint weekend leaves no room for recovery when a car goes missing in the only practice session. Lawson now heads into the rest of the event without crucial track time on a circuit that demands precise setup and driver confidence. His absence also puts extra pressure on teammate Arvid Lindblad to deliver points while the team investigates the reliability issue.

The details:

• The hydraulic leak struck early in FP1, which was eventually topped by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
• Team principal Alan Permane confirmed the issue: "Hydraulic leak. It could be something very simple or something a bit more terminal."
• Lawson completed only two to three laps all day, admitting it would be "really tough" to catch up.
• Despite the setback, Lindblad qualified ninth for the sprint, directly behind the two Red Bull cars, showing the Racing Bulls package has genuine pace this weekend.

What's next:

Lawson will use the sprint race to gather data and prepare for qualifying, but he knows the deficit is significant. "I'll be playing catch up tomorrow," he said. "Qualifying will be the biggest step I have to make." The team will aim to resolve the hydraulic issue before the sprint to give him a fighting chance in the main qualifying session.