Liam Lawson frustrated by sudden lack of pace at Spanish GP

Liam Lawson has aired his frustration after Racing Bulls' race pace collapsed at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, allowing Alpine to pass them on track despite being six-tenths adrift in qualifying. The New Zealander started eighth but fell behind both Alpines during the race, crossing the line ninth on the road before a penalty for Franco Colapinto restored him to eighth.

Why it matters:

The result exposed a sharp disconnect between Racing Bulls' one-lap speed and their Sunday performance on a weekend where tire management proved decisive. Losing ground to a direct midfield rival undermines the team's momentum and raises urgent questions about whether their race trim can turn Saturday pace into consistent points.

The details:

• Lawson grabbed eighth on the grid and outpaced both Alpines in Q2, where Pierre Gasly and his teammate managed only 13th and 14th—six tenths behind the Racing Bulls driver.
• On Sunday, the script flipped. Both Alpines found a way past Lawson on track, with Gasly finishing seventh, one spot ahead of Lawson's final classification.
• Lawson admitted he "pushed a little bit too hard" early on while holding off Nico Hulkenberg, likely accelerating tire degradation.
• A slow second pit stop also dropped him behind Colapinto, though Lawson conceded the underlying pace was simply missing regardless of strategy.
• The team had expected to control the midfield fight based on qualifying form, making the Sunday slump particularly confusing.

What's next:

Racing Bulls must quickly diagnose why their competitiveness vanished when it counted. Lawson's feedback points to a mix of aggressive early stint driving and broader tire degradation, meaning setup tweaks and strategy adjustments will be urgent priorities before the next round.