Lawson gains advantage over teammate Lindblad in Hungary
Liam Lawson secured an advantage over his Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, with split strategies playing a crucial role in their performances. Both drivers scored points in the race.
Lawson demonstrated strong form during practice sessions at the Hungaroring. Lindblad, however, experienced a setback during the third practice session due to a power unit change. Despite this, Lindblad qualified in ninth position, two places ahead of Lawson, with Nico Hulkenberg of Audi positioned between them.
Race Day Dynamics and Strategy
At the start of the race, Lawson moved ahead, passing both Lindblad and George Russell to initially claim eighth place. Lindblad acknowledged a less-than-ideal first lap but noted that their pace was similar afterward, with Lawson potentially being slightly faster.
Lawson later encountered a situation involving Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton after their initial pit stops, which cost him time. He described trying to avoid interference with the front-runners, noting that he was not being lapped and did not anticipate their late lunge, which ultimately affected his race. The initial plan for both Racing Bulls drivers was a one-stop strategy, focusing on tyre management with a long first stint on medium tyres.
The presence of Hulkenberg influenced the team’s decisions. Racing Bulls reacted to Hulkenberg’s pit stop by bringing Lindblad in on Lap 20, followed by Lawson a lap later, with Lawson maintaining his position ahead. The team then opted for a split strategy due to Hulkenberg’s continued presence on track. Lawson made a second pit stop on Lap 42, while Lindblad remained on track, adhering to the original one-stop plan. Lindblad mentioned that he had suggested a two-stop strategy even before the race, despite the default plan being a one-stop.
Lindblad expressed concerns about stretching the medium tyres too far, especially after recent hot races. He noted that his medium tyres were not performing well early in his stint, leading to his pit stop on Lap 21 for what would have been a 50-lap stint.
Lawson’s Pace and Outcome
On soft tyres, Lawson displayed stronger pace than Lindblad, who was on older hard tyres. Lawson overtook Lindblad on Lap 62 to secure eighth place. Hulkenberg also passed Lindblad, pushing him down to tenth after Lindblad completed a 49-lap stint on hard tyres.
Lindblad accepted that his one-stop strategy did not yield the desired outcome but understood the team’s decision to split strategies. He acknowledged that if the hard tyres had performed better, his one-stop approach could have placed him in a strong position. Lawson expressed satisfaction with the team’s decision to switch to a two-stop strategy, which he described as a surprise. He noted that the team’s call to pit him was a great one and that the car performed strongly.
Lawson, who is 24 years old, had previously ended a run of five points-scoring races with a 12th-place finish in Belgium. His teammate Lindblad had received the sole available upgrade for the race at Spa and finished ninth. Lawson will receive the same chassis upgrade for the current race weekend. He currently sits tenth in the drivers’ standings with 39 points, three points behind Pierre Gasly of Alpine. Racing Bulls is tied for fifth with Alpine in the constructors’ standings.
Racing Bulls principal Alan Permane commended Lawson’s achievements. Lawson finished eighth at the Hungaroring last year. The Hungary GP is the final race before Formula 1 takes a month-long summer break.
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Source: formula1.com
