Liam Lawson paints a positive picture of his Italian GP weekend

Liam Lawson came away from the Italian Grand Prix with a result that did not match his optimism. The Racing Bulls driver finished outside points at Monza, while teammate Isack Hadjar collected another point with a P10. Despite that gap, Lawson stressed that his weekend carried positives, and the car showed speed.

The weekend began on Friday with steady running. Both Racing Bulls were within a second of Lewis Hamilton’s early benchmark, and by FP3, Hadjar had closed to under three-tenths of the fastest McLaren.

For Lawson, though, the real test came in qualifying. After changes to his setup between sessions failed to deliver, his run unraveled in Q1. He caught dirty air on the first Lesmo, understeered wide, and qualified 18th, last of those who set a time.

Liam Lawson (30) during the Italian Grand Prix. Source: Getty

That left the Italian GP a chance to reset. Starting at the back, Lawson gambled on a soft-to-hard strategy, the only driver to take that approach. He emerged from his early stop amid a battle with Oliver Bearman and Yuki Tsunoda, swapping positions repeatedly through the closing stages. When the flag dropped, he crossed the line P14, his teammate Hadjar moving from the pit lane to P10, despite late-race chaos.

Post-race, Liam Lawson admitted the result did not reflect the car’s capability.

"I don’t think the car was necessarily slow, but compared to the previous week in Zandvoort. But we also had our fair share of issues, which didn’t help us, so it’s probably not as bad as it looks," Lawson said (via Racing 365).

Monza is the second straight race outside the points for Lawson, after scoring in three of the previous four.

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Yuki Tsunoda calls Liam Lawson's move 'very unnecessary' after Monza clash

Liam Lawson (30) of Racing Bulls and Yuki Tsunoda (22) of Red Bulls at Monza. Source: Getty

The defining moment of Liam Lawson’s race came when he found himself wheel-to-wheel with Yuki Tsunoda. The pair went side-by-side into the Roggia chicane after pitting on different strategies - Lawson on fresh hards, Tsunoda on fresh mediums. Their cars touched, Lawson’s front-left meeting Tsunoda’s rear-right, sending both across the run-off.

The incident damaged Tsunoda’s floor and limited him to a 13th-place finish. After the race, the Japanese driver did not hide his frustration.

"It’s very frustrating, to be honest. I was fighting for points and… [it was] a very unnecessary move from Lawson. I don’t know what to say... We know that he’s an aggressive driver, and I think it’s not a bad thing, but at the same time there’s always a line that we can’t step over and be beyond. Especially when we’re the same (Red Bull) roof," Tsunoda said post race.

Lawson, for his part, defended his approach.

"He passed me, I tried to pass him back, and he just squeezed me in the braking zone. We both went off, so I gave the position back, but… I was on the edge of the track, so it was close," he explained.

The exchange carried extra weight given their shared history. Liam Lawson had partnered Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls last season before the Japanese driver was promoted to replace him at Red Bull two rounds into 2025. Both have since faced difficult stretches at the senior team and its junior outfit, making Sunday’s clash a reminder of how fine the margins are inside the Red Bull system.

For Lawson, he now turns to Baku, where memories of a Formula 2 sprint podium in 2022 offer encouragement. As Racing Bulls continue to edge closer to the midfield, Lawson will be eager to turn the flashes of speed into a result that matches his conviction.