Lawson banking on rain after latest Canada setback

Liam Lawson narrowly missed the top 10 in qualifying and points in the sprint race at the Canadian Grand Prix, but the Kiwi is hoping forecast rain can turn his weekend around.

Lawson qualified 12th in Montreal after finishing 11th in the sprint, while teammate Arvid Lindblad scored a point in eighth and qualified ninth for Sunday's grand prix. The Racing Bulls driver said he was still recovering from a disrupted Friday after a hydraulics issue severely limited his running at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Why it matters:

Lawson's weekend highlights how a single mechanical issue can derail a driver's momentum in F1's ultra-competitive midfield. With Racing Bulls showing strong pace — Lindblad's performances confirm the team's upgraded package is delivering — Lawson needs a clean Sunday to avoid falling further behind his teammate in the standings.

The details:

• Lawson missed Q3 by just 0.040s after completing limited laps during Friday's disrupted running.
• "The car is really fast this weekend, so it's a shame to not put both cars in Q3," Lawson said. "I was still trying to catch up after yesterday and it was more difficult than expected."
• He struggled with soft tyre warm-up and front locking in qualifying, putting pressure on his final push lap.
• Despite the qualifying disappointment, Lawson showed strong race pace in the sprint, climbing six positions across 23 laps and recording the most overtakes of any driver.
• He was promoted to 11th after Cadillac's Sergio Perez received a penalty for forcing him wide.
• Technical director Dan Fallows praised Lawson's recovery: "Having only run two laps at pace on a difficult Friday, Liam got to grips with the car quickly today and managed to gain six places, which is an impressive achievement in a sprint race."

What's next:

Rain is forecast for Sunday's grand prix, and Lawson sees opportunity from 12th on the grid.

"Let's see what happens tomorrow; we have a quick car on the dry, but I also wouldn't mind having some rain, considering where we start," he said. "These cars are hard to drive in the wet, so if it rains as expected, it will be an interesting race."

Fallows confirmed the team's upgrades in Canada have delivered a clear step forward, and Racing Bulls will fight for points with both drivers on Sunday.