Racing Bulls continues to confirm its consistency in Formula 1: at the Japanese Grand Prix, Liam Lawson finished 9th, marking another points finish despite an average qualifying session.
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The New Zealander was able to take advantage of an offset strategy and a safety car to move up the rankings and resist Esteban Ocon’s attacks until the checkered flag.
This performance allows the team to maintain a 100% record of points finishes since the start of the season.
Lawson mentally drained
“I am mentally exhausted, because you always have to think while driving. It was a difficult race, we were lucky with the safety car, I don’t think we would have been in the points without it, but I am satisfied, Lawson said. We are managing to extract everything from the car and score points, and it will be even better when we have more performance.”
Lawson plans to take advantage of the break before Miami to rest, continue training, and work on the car in the simulator with his team in order to arrive in better shape for the next Grand Prix in five weeks.
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Lindblad: learning and frustration
His teammate Arvid Lindblad, who started 10th on the grid, finished 14th after encountering some difficulties in managing his battery and in the timing of his stop.
“A bit disappointed, I started tenth, I was eighth after one or two laps. I lost two places because of my battery management and then more positions because of a slow stop and the Safety Car, Lindblad explained. It’s a shame, but there is still a lot to learn. I’m going to focus on what I could have done better.”
Despite this result, the Briton says he is satisfied with his start to the season, notably his ability to compete with Lawson, and emphasizes that he is still in an intense learning phase with complex single-seaters to drive: “I think I showed some good things, even here in Japan in the top 10. There is a lot to improve, but I have the capacity.”
Racing Bulls can be pleased with its consistency in points, with Lawson still performing and Lindblad learning on demanding circuits. The team seems on the right track to take advantage of its opportunities and progress in the next Grands Prix, notably in Miami. With 14 points on the board, it sits seventh in the constructors’ standings but only four points behind fourth-placed, Haas F1 Team.
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