Liam Lawson, the fresh face from New Zealand, has been candid about the unfortunate chain of events that led to his early exit during the qualifying round of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. Lawson, who represents Red Bull, attributed his abysmal performance to missing the Free Practice 3 (FP3) session due to a pneumatic issue with his Red Bull RB21.
Saturday’s outing at the Albert Park circuit began on a somber note for Lawson. The entire FP3 session was missed owing to an issue with his vehicle, setting the tone for a series of unfortunate events. Lawson’s qualifying session was marred by a near collision with the barriers after losing control in Turn 3 during his second lap in Q1.
In a desperate bid to avert elimination during Q1, Lawson made a risky move at Turn 13 but ended up deviating off the course and was subsequently dropped from the qualifying session. Speaking post-session to Sky F1, Lawson was open about the difficulties he faced during the session. He admitted that they had anticipated a rough start and had planned to gradually build through the session, but his mishap during the second lap threw all plans into disarray.
Reflecting on the missed FP3 session, Lawson conceded that it was a considerable setback. However, he was quick to add that it didn’t absolve his mistakes during the qualifying session. The mishap at Turns 9 and 10 during his final Q1 run, according to Lawson, was the tipping point. Despite being half a second faster before Turn 9, he lost control, leading to his tires overheating and ultimately resulting in his off-track diversion at Turn 13.
Lawson was quick to underscore the significance of the missed FP3 session again, stating that they could have potentially mitigated the overheating issue with some practice during FP3. Despite the challenges, Lawson was of the opinion that they had managed to get the car in a decent window, and the unfortunate snap at high speed was the root cause of the overheating issue.
Looking ahead to the race on Sunday, Lawson admitted that starting from the 18th position on the grid will pose a formidable challenge. He also noted that he hadn’t done much high-fuel running, which could further complicate the situation. However, he also expressed optimism, citing the significant strides made by his team-mate Max Verstappen, who secured third place in the qualifying round.
In summary, Lawson’s disappointing exit from the qualifying round can be attributed to a series of unfortunate events, starting with a missed FP3 session, a near collision, and ultimately an overheating issue. However, Lawson remains hopeful and is all set to face the challenges of the race on Sunday. Despite the odds, the spirit and determination of this young racer are not to be underestimated.
