Liam Lawson believes this weekend's sprint race at the British Grand Prix presents "a lot of opportunity", as the Kiwi looks to continue his strong run of form in Formula 1.
Silverstone will host the fourth sprint race of the 2026 season on Saturday (NZT), meaning teams will have just one practise session (FP1) before sprint qualifying, placing extra importance on getting the car right from the outset.
Speaking to media ahead of the sprint race, Lawson said the shortened format would make preparation more challenging, but also offered teams the chance to gain an advantage if they adapted quickly.
"There's a lot of opportunity that comes with it, especially this weekend with how power sensitive the track is," he said.
"For us, we obviously have a plan of how we drive the car, but we don't know exactly how fast we're going to be.
"Trying to set up the perfect amount of energy through a lap is very tough, so making sure we nail FP1 and take as much learning into qualifying as we can will be very important."
The 24-year-old heads to Silverstone after a consistent run of performances for Racing Bulls, having scored points in all but two races this year.
His recent points-scoring finish was not without drama, after clashing with Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Lindblad attempted an overtake despite being instructed to hold position while Lawson managed overheating brakes, prompting contact between the pair and a frustrated response from the Kiwi over team radio.
Lawson later recovered to finish ahead of his teammate, with Racing Bulls salvaging a double points finish at the Spielberg circuit.
Asked whether the his recent results gave him confidence going into the British Grand Prix weekend, Lawson said he was "trying not to be too optimistic".
"It's still Formula 1, things can change very quickly," he admitted.
"This weekend being a sprint, it's going to be very tough. But I think there's no reason why we shouldn't be quick."
The 17-lap British Grand Prix sprint race will take place Saturday night (11pm NZT), before the full 57-lap main event on Monday morning (2am NZT).
Today's stories include a miraculous rescue in Venezuela, an update on the Empire state building couple, wildfires in France and Taylor Swift's wedding. (Source: 1News)
SHARE ME