Liam Lawson Disappointed with 15th-Place Grid Start at British Grand Prix

New Zealand’s Formula 1 driver, Liam Lawson, is left frustrated after securing only the 15th position on the grid for the British Grand Prix. The Racing Bulls driver was unable to progress beyond the first qualifying session (Q1) at Silverstone due to issues with his tyres, which significantly impacted his performance.

"A Q1 exit is really frustrating," Lawson remarked. "Especially since we've had a fast car all weekend. Unfortunately, the drop in temperature meant we couldn't get the tyres up to the right temperature. I had no grip starting the lap, and it didn't improve as the lap went on. It's a shame to throw away a Qualifying session like that. These tyres are very sensitive, but that's nothing new, and we should have handled it better. Starting from where we are, we'll need to consider an alternative strategy for tomorrow. Anything can happen, the weather here is unpredictable. We'll push for a top 10 finish, but it's going to be a tough race."

The British Grand Prix saw fierce competition at the front, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen securing pole position with a blistering final lap. Verstappen was closely followed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who currently leads the Drivers' Championship. Lando Norris, Piastri’s teammate and a close title contender, qualified in third place.

Mercedes driver George Russell claimed fourth on the grid, while Lewis Hamilton, who won the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time in 2023, will start fifth. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari lines up sixth, with the top five positions separated by a mere two tenths of a second. Verstappen, who has been in strong form this season, is currently third in the standings, 61 points behind Piastri.

"It was tricky out there with the wind... it was all shifting around a bit," Verstappen said after securing his fourth pole position of the season. "These cars are extremely sensitive to it. That final lap was good enough. This is a proper track, in qualifying you have to go flat out. With these corners you have to be really committed and that's really enjoyable."

Hamilton, who briefly led in the second phase of qualifying, was edged out by both Verstappen and Piastri, with the latter setting a provisional pole time of 1 minute and 24.892 seconds. Norris, who finished third, was only 0.015 seconds slower than Piastri.

"The first lap was mega, to be honest," Norris said. "I was trying to think how I could go quicker and I didn't. The last lap was a little bit messy, but it's been tight all weekend."

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh but carries a three-place grid penalty carried over from Austria for an incident involving Verstappen. This would have elevated Oliver Bearman’s Haas to seventh, but Bearman received a 10-place penalty for failing to respect red flags during final practice. As a result, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso will start seventh, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in eighth and Williams’ Carlos Sainz in ninth.

Antonelli will start 10th, but the session saw some dramatic moments. Franco Colapinto triggered red flags in the first phase when he crashed into the gravel in a cloud of dust and debris. The session was briefly halted to clear the track and repair minor barriers. Other drivers, including both Sauber drivers, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, also failed to advance to the second phase of qualifying.

"I lost the rears. Probably touched a bump or something," Colapinto said. "I got going and extricated myself, but had to stop before making it back to the pits."

The unpredictable weather and sensitivity of the tyres have made Silverstone a challenging venue this year, and Lawson’s team will now need to adapt their strategy for the race. With the race starting from 15th, Lawson and his team will be hoping for a strong performance and a potential top-10 finish.

This Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling battle, with Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, Hamilton, and Leclerc all in contention for a podium finish. For Liam Lawson and the Racing Bulls team, it will be a test of resilience and adaptability under less-than-ideal conditions.

With the British Grand Prix set to be a key race in the 2025 Formula 1 season, all eyes will be on how the top drivers perform under pressure and whether any surprises emerge from the mid-grid positions.