Lawson and Hadjar made a confident start at the Canadian GP, showing solid performance and control on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Liam Lawson finished in the top 10 on the opening day of the Canadian Grand Prix, and optimism is high for him. Indeed, the Racing Bulls driver has already identified the limits of his VCARB 02, and now aims to make steady progress.
“It’s positive, it’s tight as always. Personally, the day was fun, the track is cool, it’s a place I’ve wanted to come to for a long time so I’m enjoying it. I’m trying to push the limit to find the maximum speed,” said Lawson.
The New Zealander is wary of traffic on the narrow Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: “It’s tough here, especially in Q1, it’ll be difficult to manage that, it’s a small track. But we’re all in the same boat and we’ll have to handle it well.”
Isack Hadjar was pleased with a strong pace and a car that was quick from the start of the day. However, the French driver acknowledges that the tight pecking order makes qualifying a tricky task.
“It’s fast, we were competitive from this morning. FP2 was tricky, but we’re in a good situation and I’m confident,” said Hadjar, who is also mindful of traffic. “It’ll be tough in Q1, easier if we get to Q2, and even more so in Q3. So far, we’ve handled it well, including in Monaco, so that’s the goal.”
And Q3 will indeed be the goal, even if it means nailing a perfect lap: “It’s realistic, that’s our target. It’s a small track so I think all the cars will be within a second. At the slightest mistake, you’re out, but if we put everything together, it’ll be good.”
