Source: Radio New Zealand
Liam Lawson experienced a frustrating day in Japanese GP qualifying. AFP
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson will provisionally start 14th on the grid for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, after a frustrating day at the Suzuka Circuit.
Lawson got through the first qualifying session comfortably, finishing with the 11th-fastest lap, with the top 16 progressing.
With six more dropping out after the second session, Lawson needed a good time in his Racing Bulls car, but fell short.
Team-mate Arvid Lindblad made it through, with the 10th-fastest lap, 1.541 seconds behind top qualifier Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli will start from pole position, his second pole in a row, after the Chinese Grand Prix, which he won convincingly.
The 19-year-old Italian was fastest in the third qualifying session, with Mercedes teammate George Russell alongside on the front row. Oscar Piastri, who missed out on the first two F1 races of the season, will start from three, alongside Charles Leclerc, with Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton next. Lindblad will start from 10th.
In the earlier final practice session, Lawson had finished with the 12th fastest lap, showing anger, after claiming he was blocked by one of the Haas cars.
“What the f***, man, oh my God,” Lawson said on his Racing Bulls team radio. “He just literally parked it on the apex the whole way through.”
Lawson earned his first points of the season at the Chinese Grand Prix, with top-10 finishes in both the sprint and the grand prix.
He sits on eight points, in ninth place, with Russell leading the standings on 51 points, four points ahead of Antonelli.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
