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Lawson turns horror weekend into points finish at Mexican GP
Sport Nation •  November 2nd, 2026 11:54 am
Liam Lawson | Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI
Kiwi Formula One driver Liam Lawson has turned a nightmare weekend into a valuable points finish, fighting his way from the pit lane to ninth in a dramatic Mexico City Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old Racing Bulls driver looked destined for a frustrating afternoon after being disqualified from qualifying and forced to start Sunday's race from pit lane.
Lawson had made his way to 15th before a crash involving Valtteri Bottas brought out the red flag, providing Lawson with a second lease on life.
When racing resumed on lap 50, Lawson made his way up to 11th, with fresher tyres than many of his rivals after pitting shortly before the incident.
The timing of the stop had initially left the Kiwi furious, with a safety car deployed shortly after he entered the pits.
"Are you kidding me bro?" Lawson questioned over team radio, "f***ing god dude."
Liam Lawson | Photo: Photosport
The race took another dramatic turn on lap 59 when Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad crashed following contact with Australian Oscar Piastri that promoted Lawson to 10th and in line for a points finish.
When racing resumed, Lawson wasted little time, passing Alpine's Pierre Gasly before settling in behind Franco Colapinto to bring home ninth place.
Earlier in the race, Lawson had complained of engine braking problems and a lack of grip, describing the car as "undriveable" at one stage.
"I've got no grip mate," he told his team. "It's very early in the braking. As soon as I brake, I'm floating around."
Racing Bulls made adjustments during a pit stop, with Lawson soon reporting improvements.
"This is better (engine braking)," he said.
The result marks an impressive recovery for Lawson, particularly given the circumstances that had unfolded before the race even began.
The Kiwi had qualified eighth-fastest, but his time was subsequently wiped out after stewards found his Racing Bulls car had breached technical regulations.
The car failed to meet the required MGU-K power reduction following Lawson's fastest lap in Q2, resulting in his disqualification from qualifying and forcing him to start from the pit lane.
Lawson had already received a one-place grid penalty following a Friday collision with reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
The result comes at a significant time for the Kiwi, with Racing Bulls yet to confirm its driver lineup for the 2027 season.
Lawson's future remains uncertain amid speculation that Bulgarian youngster Nikola Tsolov could be in contention for his seat, making every remaining race an important opportunity to strengthen his case to remain on the grid.
Tsolov was in Lawson's No. 30 machine for FP1 in Mexico to satisfy Formula 1's mandatory rookie rules that require each team to field a driver who has completed no more than two Grands Prix in at least two practice sessions per season.
