Liam Lawson's Stellar Qualifying Performance at Brazil’s Grand Prix
Liam Lawson could hardly have picked a better moment to remind Formula One of his value.
On a soaked, stop-start afternoon at Interlagos, with his long‑term future in the sport still being debated in other people’s offices, the Kiwi drove with clarity and nerve to qualify third for the Brazilian Grand Prix – equalling the best Saturday of his career.
It was anything but straightforward.
A storm, a stoppage, and a shootout
Torrential rain hammered the circuit and halted Q1 less than two minutes after it began, a red flag forcing every team back to the drawing board. What followed, almost 90 minutes later, was effectively a one-shot contest on a rapidly improving track where timing mattered as much as raw speed.
Lawson walked that tightrope with authority. The times tumbled, the leaderboard shuffled, but he never looked like a man on the brink. His 1m 32.085s was good enough for seventh in Q1, with more than 1.2s in hand.
For Racing Bulls, the first session brought an early and significant boost. Constructors’ rivals Alpine saw both cars fall at the first hurdle, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly marooned in 17th and 18th. On a weekend where every point could bite, that felt big.
Verstappen parked, Lawson steps up
Q2 opened with another small break for Lawson. Max Verstappen, carrying a 30-place grid penalty for a power unit change, never returned to the track. Red Bull chose to bank tyres rather than chase a meaningless position, effectively freeing up one more spot in the top 10.
Lawson did the rest.
On a clearing circuit, his first lap – 1m 30.922s – planted him safely inside the top 10. As grip improved, he rolled the dice on intermediates and delivered: a 1m 27.049s, just 0.304s shy of George Russell’s benchmark, vaulted him to second in the session. It was confident, decisive driving in the kind of mixed conditions that expose hesitation.
Not everyone survived the chaos. Teammate Arvid Lindblad’s run ended with a mechanical issue, the Racing Bulls driver stranded at Turn 5 and classified 12th. Moments later, Haas debutant Rafael Camara hit the barriers, triggering another red flag and locking in the Q2 order.
Lawson was still there. Deep into Q3. With more to come.
Career-best equalled in a wild Q3
The weather had one more twist left. Fresh rain between Q2 and Q3 robbed the field of the grip they had just enjoyed, and with it any realistic chance for Lawson to improve on his earlier time. This final phase became a test of composure more than outright pace.
He passed that, too.
His best Q3 lap, a 1m 28.321s, was only good enough for fifth on raw time. But Interlagos qualifying rarely ends where the stopwatch stops. Grid penalties reshaped the front of the field: Russell dropped five places, Charles Leclerc 10. Lawson, quietly efficient amid the storm, suddenly found himself promoted to third on the grid.
That matches his best-ever qualifying result, first achieved at last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the same weekend he scored his best race finish of fifth. Different continent, same message.
Up front, McLaren’s Lando Norris took pole, with newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli alongside him. Behind them, Lawson shares the second row with Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg, another driver who thrives when the script dissolves in the wet.
The Red Bull stable tells its own story. Lawson was the fastest of the organisation’s four cars across the two teams, his closest stablemate Isack Hadjar lining up fifth after qualifying seventh. Verstappen, anchored to 21st by that brutal 30-place penalty, will spend Sunday afternoon fighting traffic instead of trophies.
A chance to turn pressure into points
For Racing Bulls, the grid could hardly look more inviting. Both Alpines are stuck in the pack, Verstappen is out of the equation at the sharp end, and the forecast points to more rain over the 71 laps.
Those are Lawson’s conditions. This is his kind of race.
With his future still being weighed against spreadsheets and succession plans inside the Red Bull system, he has carved out the one thing that cannot be ignored: a clear shot from the second row in Brazil, in weather that rewards courage and feel.
The lights go out at 6am on Monday. If Lawson wants to force the conversation about where he belongs next year, there may never be a better stage than a wet Interlagos with everything to gain.
