Liam Lawson said he was pleasantly surprised by his unexpected result of making it into the top 10 in the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying sessions. The Racing Bulls driver will start the race on Sunday from 10th position.
This result marked Lawson's best starting position since the Australian Grand Prix. He also managed to place in the top 10 for the second consecutive time in Monaco.
Strong start to the weekend, struggled on Friday
Lawson explained that they began the weekend with a promising pace but faced difficulties on Friday. He emphasized that their true performance was not fully visible before qualifying began.
Lawson noted that the car was strong in low-speed corners in Canada but they struggled on the first day in Monaco. Due to the heavy traffic on the street circuit, it was difficult to set a clean lap, so the real speed only became apparent during qualifying.
The New Zealand driver added that they made far more changes than usual throughout the weekend. Despite this, he considered finishing in the top 10 a good result for them.
Passing will be difficult in Monaco
Lawson said that overtaking in Monaco will be as challenging as always. He mentioned that due to the technical adjustments used this weekend, the speed differences between cars will not widen significantly.
According to the driver, the key factor in the race will be car pace and the start rather than moves on the straights. Therefore, the first corners and the race start will be critically important.
Team highlights Q3 performance
Racing Bulls' technical director Tim Goss also praised Lawson's performance. Goss said Monaco is a demanding track for both drivers and engineers, and finding the right setup takes time.
According to Goss, the team managed to get the VCARB 03 to the desired level by qualifying, and Lawson delivered an almost flawless lap to bring the car into Q3. His teammate Arvid Lindblad, however, could not set a clean lap in Q2 and ended up 15th.
The Racing Bulls camp believes they can fight for points if they have a clean race. Lawson felt that this result in Monaco was a reflection of the work done throughout the weekend.