After showing good pace throughout the Japanese Grand Prix free practices, Liam Lawson had every right to feel optimistic heading into qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Qualifying 1
At the start of Q1, Racing Bulls were quick to head out of the lane with Lawson and teammate Arvid Lindblad being the first drivers on a lap. Lawson, looking very unsettled in his first run, set a 1.31.708 but was quickly eclipsed by his teammate, going a tenth and a half faster.
Both Racing Bulls stayed out for another run, and sat twelfth and thirteenth after everyone had completed a flying lap.
Kimi Antonelli sat top of the timesheets with a 1.30.035 with five minutes to go, only 0.043 ahead of Charles Leclerc. Both Red Bulls sat comfortably in the safe zone with Isack Hadjar in eighth and Max Verstappen in ninth. The Williams duo, Aston Martin duo and Cadillac duo sat in the elimination zone, with Cadillac and Aston Martin sitting over two and three seconds off the pace, respectively.
On his final flyer, Lawson sat a 1.30.657, enough to leave him eleventh at the chequered flag. Notably, he finished ahead of both Hadjar in twelfth and Lindblad in thirteenth. Leclerc finished the session in first, ahead of the Mercedes duo in Russell and Antonelli.
Alex Albon, Ollie Bearman, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were all eliminated from the remainder of qualifying at the end of Q1.
Qualifying 2
Both Lawson and Lindblad yet again headed out early to set a banker lap. After the whole grid had completed a flyer, Lawson sat in fifteenth, three tenths behind Lindblad in thirteenth and five tenths below the elimination line.
Oscar Piastri sat top of the session after the first banker laps, three and a half tenths ahead of Antonelli. Gabriel Bortoleto showed strong pace at this stage of the session, sitting in fifth with five minutes to go.
While the track improved and drivers went faster, four-time Suzuka pole-sitter Max Verstappen reported frustration with the car after barely improving on his final push lap. His last lap left him on the cusp of the elimination zone, and he was subsequently eliminated after Lindblad improved to go into the final Q3 spot.
Lawson was told at the end of his first run in Q2 that his front wing had damage, and needed to be replaced. He came in for the quick change, and headed out hopeful for his last flying lap.
However, Lawson was unable to match the pace of his Racing Bulls teammate and finished the session in fourteenth position, +1.447 seconds off Antonelli and +0.386 off his teammate in tenth.
Verstappen finished the session in eleventh, ahead of Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Lawson, Franco Colapinto and Carlos Sainz.
Antonelli continued his fine form to lead a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of George Russell. Oscar Piastri qualified third, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. Lindblad finished the session in tenth, +1.541 seconds off pole.
The Japanese Grand Prix will kick off at 6:00pm NZST time tomorrow (29th March)
