News Summary
- Lawson admitted he panicked when Russell began closing in during the Singapore Grand Prix.
- The New Zealander finished seventh, ahead of Nico Hülkenberg and Russell, and described the race as physically exhausting.
- His result helped Racing Bulls strengthen its hold on fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Liam Lawson has admitted that he feared losing seventh place to George Russell during the closing stages of the Singapore Grand Prix, revealing in an untelevised radio exchange that the Mercedes driver’s recovery had caused him considerable concern.
The Racing Bulls driver finished seventh at Marina Bay, narrowly ahead of Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg, while Russell recovered to ninth after starting 19th because of a power-unit penalty. Although Lawson appeared to have his position under control, his conversation with race engineer Alexandre Iliopoulos after the chequered flag revealed a more difficult experience than the result suggested.
The exchange also showed how physically demanding the race had been for the New Zealander, who was competing in Singapore’s intense heat and humidity.
Lawson admits he feared Russell’s late charge
After crossing the line, Iliopoulos congratulated Lawson on securing seventh place and informed him that Pierre Gasly had finished outside the points for Alpine, an important result in Racing Bulls’ battle for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Lawson thanked the team before acknowledging his exhaustion.
“Yeah, I’m pretty fucked, yeah!” he replied when asked how he was feeling.
The 24-year-old explained that the race had felt exceptionally long and that Hülkenberg had been particularly quick during the final laps. His greater concern, however, had been Russell, whose Mercedes was recovering through the field.
“I panicked a bit,” Lawson admitted, before explaining that he thought Russell might reach him.
Iliopoulos reassured the driver that Russell had eventually suffered tyre degradation and had been unable to sustain his attack.
The Mercedes driver ultimately finished ninth, while Lawson maintained seventh and secured six championship points.
Singapore result strengthens Lawson’s Racing Bulls position
The result completed another productive weekend for Lawson, who had also finished fifth in Saturday’s sprint, adding four points.
His ten-point Singapore haul followed six points at the previous grand prix, giving him 16 points across two consecutive weekends and strengthening his case for a Racing Bulls seat in 2027.
The New Zealander has contributed 61 of the team’s 100 Constructors’ Championship points this season, despite spending three grands prix with Red Bull while substituting for the injured Isack Hadjar.
His performances have helped Racing Bulls consolidate fifth place, 32 points ahead of Alpine following Singapore.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO demonstrated in its statistical analysis of Lawson’s recent performances, he has delivered 61% of the team’s points while outperforming rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad in their direct comparison.
Lawson’s future remains under discussion
Lawson’s Singapore performance comes as Racing Bulls approaches a decision on its 2027 driver line-up.
Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz expects the team to retain Lawson and Lindblad, pointing to their contribution to its championship position.
However, team principal Alan Permane has not officially confirmed the pairing, with Formula 2 contender Nikola Tsolov also under consideration.
The latest speculation is detailed in Racing Bulls set to retain Lawson and Lindblad for 2027.
Lawson returns to action at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 23–25, where Racing Bulls will attempt to protect fifth place in the championship.
The complete Austin schedule and international start times are available on GRANDE PRÊMIO.
