Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson will start from 12th on the grid for tomorrow morning’s Qatar Grand Prix, after narrowly missing out on a place in the top 10.
The Racing Bulls driver progressed comfortably through the opening stage of qualifying (Q1) but was knocked out in Q2, falling short of the final session by just 0.083 seconds.
It followed a steady showing in the earlier 19-lap sprint race around the Lusail International Circuit where Lawson climbed from 16th on the grid to finish 14th.
Speaking after qualifying, the 23-year-old admitted the qualifying result was "frustrating".
"We ended Q1 in a very comfortable place, and unfortunately small changes made [the car] very tricky to drive. We barely improved in Q2," Lawson said.
"I think our race pace was very good, and we just needed to qualify better."
Despite the disappointment, the outing marks Lawson’s best qualifying performance at the demanding Qatar circuit. improving on his previous starts of 18th (2023) and 17th (2024).
Lawson, who is expected to learn his future in the sport this week, also outqualified old teammate and seat rival Yuki Tsunoda, who could only manage 16th.
Fellow Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar continued his standout rookie season, securing sixth on the grid and making his likelihood of retaining the second Red Bull seat next year even more likely.
The championship battle took an unexpected twist, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri claiming pole position — his sixth of the season and first since September’s Dutch Grand Prix amid a recent run of poor form.
McLaren teammate Lando Norris locked out the front row in second, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start from third.
Norris currently leads the World Driver's Standings on 394 points, with Piastri sitting in second with 374 and Verstappen third with 371.
The penultimate race of the 2025 Formula 1 season will take place tomorrow morning (5am NZT)
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