Liam Lawson secured a promising 10th-place finish during Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
Formula 1’s arrival in Madrid brought an entirely new venue to the championship calendar, leaving drivers learning the new circuit without making contact with the perimeter walls. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the pace on Friday with a fast lap of 1m 33.662s, establishing authority ahead of Ferrari challengers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, as reported in the official practice results.
Lawson Navigates Madring Circuit as Red Bull Evaluation Continues
Liam Lawson will continue at the wheel of the Red Bull for a third consecutive race. The Austrian team confirmed this Monday that the New Zealander will once again substitute for Isack Hadjar at the Madrid Grand Prix, which will take place this weekend at the new Madring circuit. Hadjar, who injured his wrist during the summer break, has still not fully recovered and will remain in the team’s garage supporting his teammates.
The decision to keep Lawson in the RB22 seat was made after evaluating the French driver’s evolution: The decision has been made while Isack's recovery continues to progress positively, although he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit, he will be in Madrid supporting the team
explained Red Bull’s official statement. Hadjar’s injury, suffered in a training accident during the summer holidays, has kept the young driver out of the last two races.
Lawson, who initially replaced Hadjar at Zandvoort, has made the most of his opportunity in the main team. In his first race at the wheel of the Red Bull, the New Zealander achieved a meritorious seventh place in the Netherlands. However, at Monza things were not as positive, he finished in fourteenth position, conditioned by a grid penalty and the car’s performance. Despite the ups and downs, the team has trusted him for a third race.
The New Zealander opened Friday by placing 10th in the opening practice session with a lap of 1m 35.539s before improving to 1m 34.938s in the afternoon. His performance keeps him logging valuable mileage alongside Max Verstappen, who finished sixth in the second session.
Garage Shuffling Across Red Bull and Racing Bulls
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda continues at the wheel of the Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s sister team. The Japanese driver, who returned to the sister team to cover the seat left by Lawson at Zandvoort, has scored an eleventh and a tenth place in the last two races. Tsunoda awaits his opportunity to prove he deserves a seat in the main team, but for now he will have to settle for continuing to gain experience and points for the Faenza structure.
Unresolved Questions Over Driver Lineups and Circuit Demands
The physical demands of adapting to different machinery remain a central talking point for Lawson, who has previously noted that the Red Bull and Racing Bulls cars possess radically different behaviors. As the paddock prepares for final practice and qualifying ahead of Sunday’s grand prix, neither Red Bull nor associated reports have confirmed a definitive timeline for Hadjar’s return beyond his ongoing rehabilitation supervision.
