Liam Lawson’s remarkable return saw him secure two crucial points for RB F1, earning praise from team leadership after Austin.
RB F1 showed impressive race pace at the United States Grand Prix. Liam Lawson climbed from 19th to ninth place, while Yuki Tsunoda was less fortunate but also demonstrated strong performances. Jody Egginton, the team’s technical director, praised the work done to find good setups.
“We made significant progress with the cars during qualifying, and the race pace confirmed that these setup changes also provided a much better race car compared to the sprint race, with notable improvements in pace and tire management during the race,” the engineer stated.
“With Liam starting from the back due to the engine penalty, the plan was to aim for a long first stint on hard tires. However, the pace he managed throughout the stint was very strong, allowing him to overtake a few cars on track and climb even further than expected. He was rewarded with points in his first race back with us, which is a credit to him and a reward for the team’s hard work both in Austin and back in Faenza and Bicester over the past period.”
“Yuki’s race was more conventional, starting on medium tires like the majority of the field. Early on, he was running solidly toward the front of the pack, but with his pace starting to drop slightly and some pressure from behind, we were forced to pit potentially a bit earlier than we would have liked.”
“This, combined with managing the hard tires, caused him to lose some ground in the middle of the race. As he pushed harder later on, he unfortunately received a 5-second penalty for overtaking Alex (Albon) and also spun while trying to pass Pierre (Gasly). So, he wasn’t in contention for the final points-paying position at the end of the race.”
“When considering the weekend as a whole, it’s good to have achieved the expected performance from the new floor here, and it’s great to score points. However, Haas F1 is also performing well, and with five races left, we need to focus on extracting the maximum from the car’s latest upgrades and delivering strong weekends to meet our season objectives.”
An “excellent comeback” for Lawson
Laurent Mekies, Faenza team principal, praised Lawson’s impressive return after a year on the sidelines, with two well-deserved points: “We can be pleased with our team’s performance in Austin, with an excellent ninth place for Liam in his comeback, thanks to a very well-executed race from the back of the grid.”
“He did an outstanding job all weekend, especially considering he hadn’t raced since last October. He was well-prepared, having spent the whole season with us, working with the team at the factory and during Grands Prix, so he was practically ready for the weekend from the start.”
“Yuki’s pace was also solid throughout the weekend, starting the Sprint from ninth and the race from tenth. In the race, after a strong first stint on mediums, he didn’t have much clear air in the second stint on hards and had to stay behind Gasly before a spin pushed him further back.”
“Austin marked the start of an intense six-race battle to decide championship positions, and not just at the front of the field. With a Haas finishing ahead of us, they have now overtaken us for sixth place, but we’ve seen the hierarchy shift frequently this season.”
RB F1 continues to fight hard to reclaim sixth place from Haas: “Like most teams, we’ve brought upgrades and are pleased with their performance.”
“We believe there’s still room to fully exploit them, and we must get the most out of this package in the remaining five races. Everyone in Faenza and Bicester is focused on that, and we expect a great battle to the end.”
- You may also like>Stella Rejects Aggression, Questions Stewards’ Judgement
- Also make sure you follow us on social media>Facebook and>Twitter
Lawson’s Stellar Return Earns Vital Points for RB F1 Lawson’s Stellar Return Earns Vital Points for RB F1
