Lawson’s Eighth in Brazil: A Strong Case for F1's Best of the Rest
Liam Lawson didn’t get the fairytale podium his early laps teased in São Paulo. What he did leave with, though, was something that might matter even more: another hard-earned points finish, a growing reputation, and a louder argument for why he belongs on next year’s Formula One grid.
On a day of changing grip, changing skies and changing fortunes, eighth place was worth four points. It also carried a statement.
From front-row dreams to midfield reality
Starting from a career-best-equalling third, Lawson launched cleanly and immediately found himself in rare air. He held position off the line, then boldly swept past Lando Norris into turn two to climb to second, with only freshly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli ahead.
For a few laps, the Racing Bulls driver sat between the sport’s past and present kings, defending a position his car had no real right to hold. Norris swarmed all over the back of him, the McLaren closing to within half a second and forcing Lawson into a firm defence into turn one on lap six.
The pressure told once the drying track exposed the limits of the Racing Bulls. As Lawson’s rear tyres began to cry enough, Norris reclaimed second at turn 11. The Kiwi then slipped behind Isack Hadjar and George Russell at turn one on consecutive laps seven and eight, tumbling from a dream podium fight into a more familiar scrap.
By lap 11, Max Verstappen — storming through from 21st on the grid — swept past to demote Lawson to sixth. Oscar Piastri’s McLaren loomed immediately in the mirrors, underlining the brutal reality: this was a midfield car trying to live in the front-row world.
Strategy, spins and survival
The race pivoted as the track continued to dry. By lap 15, teams began rolling the dice, switching from intermediates to slicks. Lawson stayed out a little longer, then pitted two laps later. The timing proved shrewd.
Russell spun at the pit exit and dropped out of contention, while Piastri was delayed behind the stricken Mercedes. Lawson picked up two places in one stroke, climbing back into the top six and briefly breathing easier.
That respite didn’t last. Piastri’s pace advantage resurfaced, and on lap 24 the Australian won their transtasman duel into turn one, pushing Lawson down the order again. The Kiwi settled into a lonely stint, holding an 11-second gap to Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi in seventh, with no realistic shot at catching the German.
Hülkenberg’s defence against a recovering Russell bought Lawson some time, but not enough. Once Russell finally cleared the Audi on lap 30, he set off after the Racing Bulls with clear air and superior speed. Lawson, stuck in what felt like no man’s land, had only blue-flagged backmarkers for company as the inevitable approached.
On lap 46, the Mercedes powered past to reclaim sixth. Lawson slipped to seventh, still in the points, still fighting.
Three laps later he dived into the pits for a second stop and rejoined in eighth, wedged between the Ferraris. Charles Leclerc, nursing tyres that had been punished for close to 40 laps, was easy prey. Lawson dispatched him on lap 48 just as light rain began to return and the race threatened to flip again.
Late chaos, lasting impression
With fewer than 10 laps to go and the drizzle intensifying, Lawson rolled the dice once more. He pitted for intermediates and emerged still in eighth. It looked conservative but solid.
Ferrari chose not to pit Lewis Hamilton. That call backfired. The seven-time champion spun at turn 15, gifting Lawson another place and nudging him up the order as the conditions bit harder.
The final lap brought one last twist. Leclerc, back in the fight, retook the position, making contact with the Racing Bulls in the process. Lawson dropped back behind the Ferrari, but crucially stayed in the points. Eighth place, another score, another afternoon of clean, disciplined racecraft in a car that spent most of its time punching above its weight.
At the sharp end, Norris turned pole into his third win of the season, just a week after losing his world title to Antonelli. The Italian’s own race unravelled when he spun at turn two after bolting on slicks too early, and he had to settle for fifth behind teammate Russell. Mercedes still left with plenty: Antonelli’s drivers’ crown now sits alongside the constructors’ title.
Verstappen, though, produced the drive of the day, slicing from 21st to second. Hadjar completed the podium for Red Bull in third, underlining the team’s relentless presence at the front.
Best of the rest – and still in limbo
For Lawson, the bigger picture looks increasingly impressive. Eighth in Brazil delivered his 15th points finish of the campaign, equalling Pierre Gasly’s mark for the most in a single season by a Racing Bulls driver. His season tally now stands at 87, putting him 45 clear of Gasly in the fight for ninth in the championship and strengthening his grip on the unofficial title of “best of the rest” — the fastest driver outside the top four teams.
All this comes while his future with Racing Bulls remains unresolved. No guarantees, no long-term security, just performances like this one, stacked week after week.
Formula One heads next to the Las Vegas Grand Prix later this month, with uncertainty hanging over potential races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi amid conflict in the Middle East. If Vegas does end up being the final act of the season, Lawson has already made his point.
The question now is whether the paddock is really listening.
