Liam Lawson’s Bahrain Grand Prix weekend took a hit during qualifying, with the Kiwi exiting in Q1 and set to line up 17th on the grid — the lowest among the four Red Bull-affiliated drivers.
Lawson posted a best lap of 1:32.165, falling just 0.167 seconds short of progressing to Q2. Ironically, it was Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull RB21 who knocked him out.
The issue wasn’t down to raw pace but rather a malfunction with Lawson’s Drag Reduction System (DRS). His rear wing unexpectedly closed on the second straight, costing him precious time and any chance of advancing.
“I’m not entirely sure what went wrong,” Lawson admitted. “I had a bit of wheel spin, opened the DRS, then it shut again. It’s really frustrating — it just sucks.
“We’ve had good pace this weekend, especially through practice. The car felt solid, and we had it in a good window for qualifying. But unfortunately, the issue held us back.
“We’ve got the speed to move forward tomorrow — it’s just a question of how far,” said Lawson.
Lawson may yet benefit from Esteban Ocon’s Q1 crash, as the Frenchman’s car sustained heavy damage and could require a pit lane start, potentially promoting Lawson to 16th.
In contrast, his teammate Isack Hadjar progressed to Q2 and will begin the race from 12th after clocking a 1:31.271 — nearly nine-tenths quicker than Lawson.
“It wasn’t a great Qualifying for us; reaching Q3 was today’s goal. We got really close, and I feel like we could have gotten through, but I didn’t do a good enough lap. I had a tricky session out there, and after the wind changed direction, I felt like the balance of the car went the wrong way, and therefore, I struggled with it.” said Hadjar
Oscar Piastri, coming off a strong showing in practice, secured pole with a blistering 1:29.841. His McLaren teammate and championship contender, Lando Norris, will start from sixth.
“Pole! I’ve felt good out there pretty much all weekend. We’ve had good pace, and the car feels great, which is the most important thing. It’s a long race tomorrow, and lots can happen, but we’re starting in a strong position, so I’m looking forward to it.
“There’s work to do tonight, but I can’t thank the team enough for the car they’ve given me this weekend,” said Piastri
Despite a tough weekend overall, Red Bull’s factory team delivered under pressure, with Max Verstappen qualifying seventh and Yuki Tsunoda grabbing P10.
“I have ticked the box of reaching Q3, which is the first step for me. I think it was a good execution. I had the red flag in Q1 with no time set, and then I only had one set to make it through to Q3.
“I am reasonably happy, although P10 is not always the place as a driver that you want to be.” said Tsunoda
George Russell managed to split the McLarens by taking second, while Kimi Antonelli posted the fourth-fastest time for Mercedes — though both drivers received post-session penalties for pit lane infractions following Ocon’s crash.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was a standout performer, qualifying fifth and securing a second-row start thanks to Antonelli’s penalty.
Lawson isn’t new to the Bahrain International Circuit. He has raced there five times in Formula 2, winning once and claiming three additional podiums.
With three DRS zones and overtaking opportunities aplenty, Lawson will hope to make up ground — though another stroke of bad luck certainly adds to what’s been a trying start to his campaign.
Earlier in the day, teams took a conservative approach to final practice due to hot track temperatures that were unrepresentative of race conditions. Lawson completed 14 laps in FP3, recording a 1:33.370 — an improvement of 1.27 seconds over his FP1 effort.
“With such a tight field, it is essential to get everything right. Unfortunately, Liam had a DRS issue in Q2. In the tricky conditions, Liam picked up a little wheelspin on the exit from Turn 10, resulting in a small throttle lift to keep the car under control, causing DRS to automatically close, which caused him to lose vital speed on the straight and cost the place in Q2.” said Tim Goss, Racing Bulls Chief Technical Officer
Across all three practice sessions, Lawson racked up 64 laps — more than the 57-lap race distance — and gathered data on all three tyre compounds, providing a solid base for race day.
The Bahrain Grand Prix kicks off at 3 am Monday morning NZT.
2025 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix starting grid:
- 1 Oscar Piastri – McLaren
- 2 Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
- 3 George Russell – Mercedes – penalty
- 4 Pierre Gasly – Alpine
- 5 Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – penalty
- 6 Lando Norris – McLaren
- 7 Max Verstappen – Red Bull
- 8 Carlos Sainz – Williams
- 9 Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
- 10 Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
- 11 Jack Doohan – Alpine
- 12 Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls
- 13 Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
- 14 Esteban Ocon – Haas
- 15 Alex Albon – Williams
- 16 Nico Hulkenberg – Sauber
- 17 Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
- 18 Gabriel Bortoleto – Sauber
- 19 Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
- 20 Ollie Bearman – Haas
Header Image: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
