Lawson Struggles as Racing Bulls Driver Amid Performance Challenges
Liam Lawson’s challenging start to the 2025 Formula 1 season continued in Miami, leaving the New Zealander without points through four races as a driver for Racing Bulls following his demotion from Red Bull. After the Miami Grand Prix, Lawson offered a critical assessment: "We have no points…putting a full race together could be quite tough."
In contrast, teammate Isack Hadjar has emerged as a standout performer within the team, consistently battling for points and outqualifying Lawson 4-1, including sprint qualifying sessions. Despite this, Lawson has shown flashes of potential, holding a 0.048-second edge over Hadjar in their two penalty-free qualifying sessions.
Race Results Overview:
- Japanese GP: Lawson started 13th but finished 17th after a lackluster race, while Hadjar secured eighth place.
- Bahrain: Lawson was poised for a 13th-place finish but fell to 16th due to penalties for contact with Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenberg.
- Saudi Arabia: Leading Hadjar initially, Lawson’s race was derailed by a 10-second penalty for overtaking Jack Doohan off track, finishing 12th.
- Miami: Lawson’s day ended early due to a spin in a collision with Doohan, describing the car’s condition as “pretty horrendous.”
Lawson’s average grid position stands at 14.5 compared to Hadjar’s 11, complicating his pursuit of valuable points. Despite technical setbacks, Lawson expressed optimism about his car’s speed: "Comfort-wise I feel really good in the car… it’ll click eventually."
Moving forward, Lawson emphasized the necessity of continuous improvement and maintaining a positive approach to race weekends. "Reset, like always. Keep working forward, keep improving things," he stated, underscoring the need to avoid penalties and collisions to turn his performance around.
