Racing Bulls' Kiwi driver sat down with the Herald before the season opener in Melbourne. Liam Lawson will start Formula One’s China sprint race in 13th, after being eliminated in the second stage of qualifying in Shanghai. A year on from qualifying last in both the sprint and grand prix at the same race weekend, the Kiwi has shown considerable improvement - admittedly in a more driver-friendly car. The 24-year-old missed out on a top 10 start for the shorter, 19 lap race by just 0.094s, but managed to outqualify rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad (15th) for the second time in succession. Both Lawson and Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane said before the race weekend that the issue had been identified and fixed.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 13, 2026 05:14 UTC