Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson has matched his season-best result at today's Canadian Grand Prix, charging from 12th on the grid to finish seventh in an eventful race won by championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Lawson made an early gain off the line, climbing up several places on the opening lap after starting on medium tires.
The Kiwi later switched to softs and held off a late charge from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who Lawson collided with during the last race in Miami, to secure seventh.
The result comes after a difficult weekend for Lawson, who was hampered by reliability issues that ruled him out of free practice and sprint qualifying, leaving him on the back foot heading into Monday's race.
Lawson had earlier described the Montreal circuit as “quite hard, and a bit unique”.
The 24-year-old was also one of four drivers investigated for an alleged yellow flag infringement following a complicated start procedure, with the matter to be reviewed after the race.
His seventh-place finish saw him earn six championship points and will keep him inside the top 10 of the World Drivers' Championship standings.
It was a disappointing day for Lawson’s teammate Arvid Lindblad, who failed to start after his car was unable to go into gear on the grid.
The race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve featured six retirements, multiple investigations and changing tire strategies.
At the front, Antonelli extended his lead in the world championship after an intense battle with teammate George Russell, securing his fourth consecutive grand prix win of the season.
The pair traded the lead several times during a fierce 30-lap duel and made contact before Russell’s race ended abruptly with a power unit failure. A frustrated Russell could be seen throwing his headset to the ground and yelling as he climbed from the car.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished the race in second, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the podium in third. Charlers Leclerc of Ferrari and Red Bull's Isaac Hadjar rounded out the top five.
It was also a race to forget for McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, whose tire strategy backfired. Norris later retired, while Piastri finished outside the points.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including the terrifying moment a paraglider’s hit by a plane in mid air, and Peter Burling scores a win over Team New Zealand. (Source: 1News)
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