Lawson Happy After Strong Qualifying Result: “This Is the Best I’ve Felt All Weekend”
Liam Lawson achieved his best qualifying performance of the season in Saudi Arabia, finishing 12th.

Lawson Happy After Strong Qualifying Result: “This Is the Best I’ve Felt All Weekend”

Lawson happy with qualifying result as his best showing of the weekend lifts confidence

It wasn’t a place in Q3, but for Liam Lawson, 12th on the grid felt like something close to a victory. After a challenging start to his full-time return to Formula 1 with the Visa Cash App RB team, the young New Zealander delivered his most convincing performance of the 2025 season so far — and walked away from qualifying in Jeddah with a rare sense of satisfaction.

“It’s definitely disappointing to be so close and not make it to Q3,” Lawson admitted with a slight shake of the head. “But at the same time, it’s been the best qualifying result I’ve achieved all weekend. It’s a step in the right direction.”

In a midfield as tightly packed as this one, where hundredths of a second can swing you from the edge of the top ten to the back rows, the margins are brutal. But for Lawson, who’s still adjusting to life back in the F1 hot seat after being moved aside at Red Bull and reinserted into the Racing Bulls lineup, those tiny gains are beginning to stack up.

Comfort growing in VCARB 02 as Lawson happy with qualifying result

Lawson’s path to Saturday wasn’t straightforward. Thrust back into the VCARB 02 after the Red Bull hierarchy opted to give him a second shot, he’s had to rebuild confidence from the ground up. Jeddah, with its sweeping, high-speed corners and narrow walls, is not the kind of circuit that forgives hesitation. It demands commitment. And Lawson delivered just that.

“I feel more comfortable every day,” he said, reflecting on his progress behind the wheel. “Of course, a track like this forces you to really lean on the car. You need to trust it completely — especially through the fast stuff. And honestly, this qualifying session was the first time all weekend I really felt that connection.”

It showed. While others were brushing walls — and in the case of Lando Norris, even hitting them — Lawson threaded his car through the tight confines of the Corniche with poise. There was no showboating, no overdriving. Just a clean, composed lap that delivered his best starting position of the year.

The only tinge of frustration came from knowing that, with just a bit more rear grip or a better exit through Turn 2, Q3 might have been a reality. Still, 12th gives him a shot — and, more importantly, a sense of momentum.

Lawson realistic but optimistic: “It’s tough to predict the race”

Despite the upswing in qualifying, Lawson knows Sunday is a different beast. The VCARB 02 has shown glimpses of pace on low fuel, but its race-day consistency is still a work in progress. The team hasn’t done as much long-run simulation as they’d like — and Lawson was honest in acknowledging the unknowns.

“To be honest, it’s hard to make a prediction,” he said. “We didn’t get a whole lot of race data during practice. So it really comes down to whether we’ve got the pace over a stint. If we do, then overtaking is definitely possible around here.”

“But the main thing is whether we actually have that pace.”

One area that will need particular attention is the first sector — the very part of the track where Norris crashed out. It’s no secret that the VCARB 02 isn’t at its best through quick changes of direction, and Lawson knows they’ve got work to do.

“Unfortunately, that’s where our weak point is,” he explained. “Sector one is tricky for us — probably where we’re losing most of the time. That’s what we’ll be focusing on not just tomorrow, but going forward. We’ve got to find a way to claw that back.”

Building confidence, step by step

Lawson frustrated after Q1 exit in disastrous Australian GP qualifying

Lawson frustrated after Q1 exit in disastrous Australian GP qualifying

There’s something refreshingly grounded about Lawson’s approach. He’s not making bold declarations, nor does he seem rattled by the pressure of reclaiming his place in the F1 spotlight. Instead, he’s treating every session as a chance to learn, improve, and — as he puts it — “just keep moving forward.”

His measured rise might not generate the same headlines as the title fight, but in the long game of F1, consistency, humility, and progress often prove just as valuable.

So while 12th on the grid won’t set the world alight, it represents a small personal win — a validation of hard work, quiet confidence, and growing trust between driver and car.

And sometimes, those are the building blocks of something much bigger.

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