Liam Lawson driving on the Interlagos Circuit, in Sao Paulo. Photo: photosport
Liam Lawson has impressed again in Formula One, qualifying for eighth place on the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race.
Lawson powered into the third and final stage of qualifying - comprising the 10 fastest cars - for the first time and later told Sky Sport UK he was happy with his performance on Saturday morning.
"The track was really challenging for everyone this morning. Everybody made quite a big step, so I'm stoked that what we did worked," he said.
"Obviously it's going to be tough tomorrow, but we'll be pushing for points."
The round in Sao Paulo is Lawson's third since being recalled to F1 to replace Australian Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull's secondary team RB, having largely impressed at rounds in Texas and Mexico City last month.
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and RB F1 Team mate Yuki Tsunoda of Japan, 2024. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In an encouraging outcome, his sprint qualifying display was significantly better than RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who was 18th quickest, while under-pressure Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was 13th fastest.
Lawson is putting pressure on the seat of Mexican Perez, who has struggled for form and engaged in a tense duel with Lawson in the previous round in Mexico.
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Pole position
McLaren locked out the front row for Sunday morning's sprint race, with Oscar Piastri snatching pole position from team-mate Lando Norris, with Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen fourth fastest.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start third in a race that brings eight points for the winner.
Australian Piastri lapped the Interlagos circuit with a best time of one minute 08.899 seconds after Norris had set the pace throughout the session but aborted his final effort and ended 0.029 slower.
The Briton is 47 points behind Verstappen with 120 points still to be won.
Oscar Piastri. Photo: photosport
Piastri, out of contention for the championship, will be expected to follow team orders and help Norris secure a maximum score, but anti-clockwise Interlagos has a tricky first corner.
"We'll see what the pace is like tomorrow for both of us," the Australian told Sky Sports television.
"I think first and second is the first objective and then we'll what order it is.
"I know that I'm not in the running for the drivers' standings, for the team it doesn't matter which way around we are.
"It would be nice to win but it's one point different and it's not the main race. We'll see. Lando needs the points in the drivers' standings a lot more than I do but of course I still want to win."
McLaren are leading the constructor's championship but are only 29 points ahead of Ferrari, with Leclerc an obvious threat and team mate Carlos Sainz qualifying fifth and Mercedes' George Russell sixth.
Practice session
Earlier, Norris led a British one-two-three in sole practice.
Mercedes's George Russell was second fastest and Haas stand-in Oliver Bearman an impressive third.
Bearman, the Ferrari reserve who will take a regular race seat at Haas next season, was replacing the unwell Kevin Magnussen at the US-owned team.
Lawson was 11th-fastest in practice, once again quicker than Tsunoda and Perez.
Max Verstappen of Netherlands driving for Red Bull Racing F1 Team Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Verstappen penalty
Verstappen will take a five-place grid penalty into Monday morning's main race in Brazil.
FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer said in a statement that the Dutch driver will be using his sixth internal combustion engine for the race at Interlagos, his second such breach of the season.
The allowance for the campaign is four and Verstappen took a 10-place penalty for using a fifth engine at the Belgian Grand Prix in July.
The rules state that the first breach is a 10 place drop with five-place demotions for subsequent ones.
- Reuters
