Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson will start eighth on the grid for tomorrow's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in Spain after another strong qualifying performance.
The Racing Bulls driver progressed into the final round of qualifying (Q3) for the third time this season, equaling his best starting position from the Australian Grand Prix in March.
Lawson clocked a fastest lap time of 1m 16.542s in Q3 after a disrupted session which saw Ferrari's Charles Leclerc bring out a red flag after crashing at Turn 4.
Speaking to media after qualifying, Lawson said he was "very, very happy" with the result.
"It's been a trickier day today than yesterday overall. We had a good start to the weekend, and then just a difficult end to yesterday," the Kiwi said.
"Honestly, I just put one really good lap together in Q2. I'm very, very happy and we're in a good place for tomorrow."
The result continues a strong run of form for the Racing Bulls driver, who currently sits 10th in the World Driver's Championship standings and has scored points in all but two races this season.
He equaled his career-best fifth place finish at last week's Monaco Grand Prix but was demoted to sixth after Alpine driver Pierre Gasly had a time penalty overturned and was reinstated to third place.
Lawson recovered well after a gearbox issue with his VCARB 03 cut short Friday's practice running in Spain. He also outqualified teammate Arvid Lindblad, who failed to make Q3 and will start the race from 11th.
Tyre management will be crucial for drivers in the scorching Barcelona heat, with track temperatures expected to make strategy a key factor in tomorrow's race.
"We've had a fast car all weekend, but tomorrow's going to be a very tough race," Lawson said.
Mercedes dominance continues
At the front of the field, Mercedes locked out two of the top three spots on the grid, with George Russell claiming pole position ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and teammate Kimi Antontelli.
Russell secured the 10th pole position of his Formula 1 career with a blistering lap of 1m 15.717s, edging ahead of Hamilton by just 0.064 seconds. It also marked Mercedes' 150th pole and Russell's 100th race for the team.
The British driver, who currently sits third in the championship standings behind Hamilton and Antonelli, said it was "nice to feel the groove again" after a run of bad luck this season, which included mechanical issues and several race retirements.
Championship leader Antonelli will start third — his first Grand Prix start of the year not on the front row — as he chases his sixth consecutive victory.
The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix will take place on Monday morning (1am NZT).
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