Racing
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Liam Lawson says Racing Bulls must “maximise every session and build confidence quickly” in Monaco after a mixed weekend in Canada in which he finished seventh but team-mate Arvid Lindblad failed to start from ninth because of a gearbox problem.
That left Racing Bulls with an encouraging result and a clear sense of what got away. Lawson climbed from 12th on the grid to seventh in Montreal, while Lindblad qualified ninth and added a point with eighth in the Sprint, only for his grand prix to end before the lights went out when the car would not go into gear on the grid.
Speaking ahead of Monaco, Lawson said the team had reasons for both optimism and frustration after Montreal. “We’re coming into Monaco after a mixed weekend for the team in Canada, where there were positives to take away but also things we know we can improve on,” the Racing Bulls driver said. “Monaco presents a completely different challenge, so it's important that we maximise every session and build confidence quickly. It's a track where precision is everything, so we hope to put together a strong weekend for the team.”
Lindblad’s non-start was especially costly because it came at the end of what was described as his strongest Formula 1 weekend so far. After the aborted start, he explained what happened on the formation lap and at the grid. “There was an issue with the clutch after the formation lap, and obviously I only figured out when the lights started coming on, and it wouldn't go in gear,” Lindblad said. “It is a bit upsetting, obviously, to not get the chance to participate today.”
Monaco now presents a very different test from Montreal’s high-speed layout. The tight street circuit, slow-speed corners and unforgiving barriers put a premium on drivers building confidence through practice without overreaching early, which adds another layer for Lindblad on his first Formula 1 race weekend there.
The missed opportunity in Canada matters in the standings. Lawson said Racing Bulls came away with seven points from the weekend when the total “could have been considerably larger,” and the team heads to Monaco sixth in the constructors’ championship on 21 points, two clear of Haas. On a circuit where track position and clean execution can define the weekend, converting both cars into points would carry extra weight.