Racing Bulls fall short in Jeddah despite all-out push

Lawson and Hadjar gave it everything in Saudi Arabia, but midfield progress from rivals kept Q3 just out of reach.

Despite pushing their VCARB 02 to the limit, Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar couldn’t break into the top 10 during qualifying in Jeddah.

Lawson secured P12, outqualifying teammate Hadjar for the first time this season – and for the first time in ten races. The Kiwi was satisfied with his lap, even if the result didn’t quite match the effort.

“We really got everything out of the car today,” Lawson said. “The midfield is incredibly tight, and teams like Williams and Alpine have taken a step forward, so it’s tough to stay ahead. But we did a solid job, and this was the best package we could deliver.”

He also noted the contrast between Jeddah and the previous race in Bahrain:

“Each weekend is a new challenge. Bahrain is more technical, but here, it’s all about commitment – the more you push, the more time you find. The goal is always points, but it’s going to be a fight.”

Hadjar ended Q2 in 14th and echoed Lawson’s sentiment that the car was near its limit.

“I think that’s about all the car had today,” said the French rookie. “Liam was about two tenths quicker, and that’s roughly what I was missing. I struggled with the balance – it kept changing corner to corner, which made it hard to get a clean lap.”

As for race expectations, Hadjar admitted it’s a bit of a step into the unknown:

“We didn’t run heavy fuel loads in practice, so I’m not sure how the car will feel in race trim. But that’s racing – we’ll give it everything.”

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Racing Bulls fall short in Jeddah despite all-out push Racing Bulls fall short in Jeddah despite all-out push