Lawson disappointed by Racing Bulls Qualifying return at Suzuka after ‘hitting a wall’ with car balance

Liam Lawson was left to rue a “disappointing end” to his first Qualifying session since returning to Racing Bulls, admitting that he “hit a wall” with the balance of the VCARB 02 around the Suzuka Circuit.

Lawson and team mate Isack Hadjar impressed during Friday practice, placing fifth and third respectively on the FP2 timesheets, with the New Zealander speaking positively about his car’s handling compared to the Red Bull he drove in Australia and China.

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However, while Hadjar navigated issues with his seat belts to secure a spot in Q3, Lawson fell at the second hurdle and will start Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix from 13th position – gaining a spot after Carlos Sainz was penalised for impeding Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking after the session, which he nonetheless finished ahead of new Red Bull Racing driver Yuki Tsunoda, Lawson reflected: “It was okay. I think a disappointing end, to be honest.

“I think we had a competitive car yesterday and a good Q1. We were trying to chase the balance through quali, and it got to a point in Q2 where to be honest we couldn’t really tune it much more.

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“Unfortunately, we just sort of hit a wall a bit and struggled in that run. Honestly, it felt like a good lap, so it’s something we’ll obviously review. That’s it.”

With rain potentially on the way for race day, Lawson added: “Obviously that’ll change everything, really, but it allows opportunity for us to hopefully move forward. Around this place, and what we’ve seen in the past, it was quite eventful.

“The new [track] surface will be quite different as well to drive – in the rain, it’ll probably hold a bit more water. From where I’m starting, I wouldn’t mind a bit of rain.”

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Hadjar will start seventh in the sister Racing Bulls machine, having finished Qualifying as the ‘best of the rest’ behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, the two McLarens, Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and the two Mercedes machines.