News Summary
- Liam Lawson criticised his own Q3 performance, admitting he pushed too hard and made mistakes during Singapore GP qualifying.
- The New Zealander qualified eighth with a 1:32.369, behind Pierre Gasly, and remains concerned about starting from the less favourable side of the grid.
- Both Racing Bulls drivers reached Q3, with Arvid Lindblad qualifying ninth as the team continued its competitive Singapore weekend.
Liam Lawson has criticised his own performance during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, admitting “I just drove like an idiot in Q3” after failing to maximise the pace of his Racing Bulls at Marina Bay.
The New Zealander qualified eighth with a 1:32.369, 0.996s behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen, and was frustrated that he could not move ahead of Pierre Gasly, who secured seventh for Alpine.
The result followed an encouraging Saturday for Lawson, who had finished fifth in the rain-affected sprint, collecting four championship points and strengthening Racing Bulls’ position in the Constructors’ Championship.
Lawson admits he pushed too hard in Singapore Q3
Lawson acknowledged that Racing Bulls had provided him with a competitive car throughout the weekend, making his final qualifying performance particularly disappointing.
Asked whether he had extracted everything possible from the car, the New Zealander immediately disagreed.
“No, honestly. We’re fighting for one position here, but unfortunately now it means we’re on the bad side of the grid,” Lawson told Sky Sports F1.
“And obviously Pierre is on the good side tomorrow. It’s frustrating. We were quicker today and I just drove like an idiot in Q3. Tried a bit too hard.”
“The car’s been very strong this weekend, so hopefully it’s strong in the race.”
The Marina Bay Street Circuit presents a particular challenge during qualifying, with narrow corners, limited run-off areas and little room for errors.
Lawson’s frustration was also linked to the difference in grip between the two sides of the starting grid, which can influence the opening metres of the race.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported in the complete Singapore qualifying results, Lawson finished eighth, immediately ahead of teammate Arvid Lindblad.
Racing Bulls gets both cars into Q3
Lawson’s result nevertheless completed a strong qualifying session for Racing Bulls, with both drivers progressing into the final segment.
Lindblad secured ninth with a 1:32.781, 1.408s behind Verstappen, giving the team two cars inside the top ten.
The performance represented a significant improvement for Lindblad after he had been eliminated in SQ1 during Friday’s sprint qualifying.
Lawson, meanwhile, continued the momentum established earlier in the weekend, when he qualified eighth for the sprint before recovering to fifth in Saturday’s race.
GRANDE PRÊMIO reported Lawson’s fifth-place finish, which earned him four points and took his championship total to 69.
The result also came amid uncertainty over Racing Bulls’ 2027 line-up, with team principal Alan Permane confirming that the organisation is still evaluating its options for next season.
Lawson expects difficult race despite strong Racing Bulls pace
Lawson believes the team has the potential to score points again on Sunday, although he acknowledged that the race could be unpredictable after Saturday’s heavy rainfall.
“Yeah, that’s the target. Obviously with both cars in Q3, it’s really strong,” Lawson said.
“But it’s going to be a very long race. And obviously with the weather today, I don’t know what it’s going to do tomorrow, but I think anything can happen.”
The New Zealander is set to start eighth after the penalties applied to George Russell and Fernando Alonso, with Gasly directly ahead and Lindblad behind.
The updated Singapore GP starting grid includes the changes caused by the power-unit penalties, while the complete Singapore GP schedule provides Sunday’s race time. GRANDE PRÊMIO follows the latest Formula 1 news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.
