Liam Lawson posted a 1:08.235 lap on 5 July 2026 in Austrian Grand Prix free‑practice, beating teammate Oscar Lindblad and keeping Racing Bulls in the midfield scramble.
What happened on the shortened practice day?
The Red Bull Ring saw only one practice session after a rain‑hit FP1 was halted. Lawson completed 34 laps, improving his time twice on soft tyres before setting the 1:08.235 mark. That placed him 12th overall, just 0.143 seconds ahead of Lindblad, who finished 13th.
How did Lawson compare with the front‑runners?
World championship leader Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) topped the timesheets at 1:07.014, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was second, 0.237 seconds quicker than Antonelli. Lawson’s best was 1.221 seconds off the pace, but his midfield position remained solid given the hot 30 °C ambient and track temperatures topping 50 °C.
Why the performance matters for Racing Bulls?
Racing Bulls entered the weekend with a reputation for strong qualifying runs but mixed race pace. Lawson’s ability to shave off half a second on softs after a medium‑tyre stint shows the car’s tyre‑working potential. The Kiwi also ran a simulated race stint on fresh mediums, confirming the team can manage tyre degradation under extreme heat.
What’s next for Lawson and the team?
A final practice session is scheduled for Saturday night (NZT), followed by qualifying on Sunday morning. Lawson will aim to improve his lap time and possibly challenge the lower‑top‑ten drivers. A strong qualifying position could translate into a points finish, something the team highlighted as essential after last year’s sixth‑place finish.
Who else featured in the session?
Rookie driver Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) set the 15th‑best time, 1.841 seconds off Antonelli. Ferrari’s Dino Beganovic, deputising for Charles Leclerc, topped the rookie group with the 10th‑best lap. The session also saw a red flag after Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) stopped on track, ending FP1 early.
How did the conditions affect the drivers?
More than one driver complained about overheating brakes, a symptom of the blistering track surface. Lawson’s switch to softs in the final 30 minutes proved decisive, allowing him to improve his time twice in quick succession before the chequered flag.
What does this mean for Lawson’s championship hopes?
Lawson remains in the midfield battle, a zone where every tenth of a second counts. By out‑pacing his teammate and showing tyre‑management skill, he keeps himself in contention for the occasional points finish, a vital step toward climbing the driver standings.
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend continues on 6 July with qualifying at 2 am NZT, and the race on Sunday promises to test Lawson’s pace under race‑day pressure.