Liam Lawson delivered a standout performance in Free Practice 2 for the 2025 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing fifth fastest and leading the Red Bull contingent as the quickest driver in the wider Red Bull camp.
On a day dominated by Charles Leclerc, the young Kiwi quietly stole the spotlight with a composed and clinical drive around the twisty streets of Monte Carlo.
The second practice session unfolded under continued blue skies and pristine track conditions, providing teams with the perfect stage to dial in their setups ahead of qualifying.
Lawson, representing the Racing Bulls team, was among the early runners, easing into the session with a 1:14.237 lap time on medium compound tyres.
As the session gathered momentum, times began to tumble. Oscar Piastri initially went quickest before Max Verstappen briefly took the top spot with a 1:12.922, only to be shuffled back down the order as faster times came in.
However, incidents also played their part. Just minutes into his flying lap, Isack Hadjar hit the barriers and triggered a red flag, and later, Piastri suffered a heavy crash that brought the session to a second halt after hitting the wall head on.
At that stage, Lawson was down in 14th, over a second off the leaders, while Leclerc surged to the top on hard tyres with an eye-catching 1:12.103. But the second half of the session saw a change in fortunes for the Kiwi.
Switching to the soft compound tyres, Lawson unlocked serious pace in his Racing Bulls car. In a sharp turnaround, he rocketed up the order to go third fastest at one point, just four-tenths shy of Leclerc’s eventual session-topping 1:11.355.
Notably, Lawson proved exceptionally quick through Monaco’s infamous low-speed corners, where he was 0.16 seconds faster than Verstappen. This showcased his precise car control and growing confidence on one of the most challenging and unforgiving circuits in Formula 1.
His final time was good enough for fifth overall, and crucially, he ended the session as the fastest of all Red Bull-affiliated drivers. Teammate Isack Hadjar was just behind in sixth, despite another brush with the barriers late in the session that curtailed his running.
Verstappen, meanwhile, struggled to extract ultimate pace and had to settle for tenth, while Yuki Tsunoda finished 11th and faces a post-session investigation for failing to slow under yellow flags during Hadjar’s incident.
For Lawson, this result marks an encouraging step forward in his Monaco campaign and offers a much-needed confidence boost heading into the all-important qualifying sessions. If today’s performance is any indication, the Kiwi might just be gearing up for something special on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Free Practice 3 is scheduled for 11:30 PM NZT tonight, with all eyes now firmly on whether Lawson can maintain his momentum.
FP2 Final Top 10:
- 1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:11.355s
- 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.038s
- 3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.105
- 4. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.322
- 5. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.468
- 6. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.487
- 7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.535
- 8. Alex Albon (Williams) +0.563
- 9. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.647
- 10. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.713
Header Image: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
