15/06/2026
It was another valuable haul of points for Tony Quinn Foundation Ambassador Liam Lawson overnight in Spain. While several things failed to fall the Kiwi’s way across the weekend, he was once again there to make the most of the opportunities that came his way. Here’s how it all unfolded.
Liam arrived at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya riding a wave of confidence after back-to-back top-seven finishes in the last two Grand Prix. Having secured seventh in Montréal before backing it up with sixth in Monaco, the Kiwi headed to Spain in the midst of one of the strongest runs of form of his Formula One career.
Friday’s opening Practice session would provide the first opportunity to see where Racing Bulls stacked up around Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as Liam and the team began preparations for the weekend ahead.
Liam headed out early on the Medium tyre and immediately looked comfortable, briefly topping the timesheets with a 1:18.397 before improving to a 1:18.061 on his next push lap.
Traffic at the final corner would later compromise another promising run, while a snap at Turn 10 during a later stint prevented further gains. Once the Soft tyres appeared, Liam briefly climbed back to fifth before reporting a lack of power in the final sector. He ultimately finished the session seventh, a promising start to the weekend.
Practice 2 began positively, with Liam immediately jumping into the Top 5 on his opening push lap. However, after returning to the garage for setup changes, a mechanical issue struck as he exited pit lane, leaving the Racing Bulls stranded and bringing out a Red Flag. Although the team worked hard to get the car repaired, Liam would only return to the circuit in the final minutes of the session.
The lost track time left the Kiwi 13th at the chequered flag and with valuable preparation still to complete heading into Saturday.
Saturday’s final Practice session got off to a quiet start, with only a handful of drivers heading out during the opening stages as teams looked to preserve tyres ahead of Qualifying. Liam eventually joined the circuit with just under 40 minutes remaining, immediately getting to work on the Soft tyre.
After aborting his first flying lap, the Kiwi moved into the Top 10 on his next attempt before returning to the garage. A Red Flag for Valtteri Bottas, who became stranded in the gravel, briefly interrupted the session shortly afterwards.
Once running resumed, Liam continued working through his programme despite having to deal with brake dust entering the cockpit during several of his runs. A fresh set of Soft tyres later in the session helped him improve to a 1:17.324, briefly lifting him into the Top 10.
A late snap at Turn 12 on his final run prevented any further gains, leaving Liam 12th at the chequered flag and firmly in the mix heading into Qualifying.
Qualifying has become increasingly important around Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in recent years, with overtaking far more difficult than it once was. Another appearance inside the Top 10 would give Liam a great opportunity to continue his recent points-scoring run.
Liam's Q1 challenge got underway with just over 10 minutes remaining, as Racing Bulls elected to wait before sending him out on track. His first flying lap produced a 1:16.673, placing him ninth despite the Kiwi reporting a lack of rear grip through the opening sector.
With the tyres offering little performance beyond a single push lap, Liam returned to the pits and watched on as the session unfolded. Confident their time was strong enough, Racing Bulls elected not to send him back out for a second run.
The gamble would lead to a nervous wait as the rest of the field completed their final runs. Fortunately, Liam's earlier lap proved enough, with the Kiwi progressing to Q2 in 15th while also saving an extra set of Soft tyres for later in the session.
In Q2, Liam was one of the first drivers on track and quickly put himself in the mix. A 1:16.180 placed him third among the early runners, though the margins remained incredibly tight heading into the final runs.
Returning to the circuit with just three minutes remaining, Liam found the improvement he needed. After showing impressive speed through the middle sector, the Kiwi stopped the clocks at 1:15.585, jumping to eighth and securing a second consecutive appearance in Q3.
Q3 got off to a frustrating start when Charles Leclerc crashed at Turn 4 before anyone had completed a representative lap, bringing out an early Red Flag and forcing the field back to the pits.
When the session resumed, Liam joined several drivers in opting for a single flying lap right at the end. With just one shot at it, the Kiwi produced a 1:16.542 to secure eighth on the grid, matching his best Qualifying result of the season and putting himself firmly in the fight for points heading into Sunday.
Starting eighth on the grid, Liam lined up on a fresh set of Medium tyres alongside Oscar Piastri. Behind him, Nico Hülkenberg was one of the few midfield runners opting for the Soft compound, while the out-of-position Charles Leclerc also lurked on the row behind after his Q3 accident. It set up an intriguing strategic battle heading into the opening stint.
When the lights went out, Liam made a clean launch and immediately moved past Isack Hadjar, who struggled off the line. Charles Leclerc would then find a way through at Turn 3, leaving the Kiwi eighth at the end of the opening lap.
The opening stint quickly developed into a defensive battle. Hülkenberg spent several laps applying pressure from behind as he looked to make the most of his Soft tyres, though Liam remained composed and gradually began to edge away as the German's tyres started to fade.
Racing Bulls were among the first teams to blink strategically, bringing Liam in at the end of Lap 11 for his first pit stop. A switch to the Hard tyre was accompanied by a slow stop due to an issue on the right-rear, costing valuable time and leaving the Kiwi with work to do as the strategy cycle played out.
Even so, Liam's pace on the Hard tyre allowed him to stay ahead of Hülkenberg once the pit cycle unfolded, while he also worked his way past Oliver Bearman after closing on the group of drivers yet to make their stops. By the time the strategy cycle had largely played out, Liam had settled into ninth position and remained firmly in the fight for points.
The next phase of the race proved far more difficult. As the Hard tyres began to wear, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly started to close in from behind, placing Liam under increasing pressure.
Colapinto was the first to make a move strategically, pitting earlier in an attempt to undercut the Kiwi. Liam responded a lap later, but another slow stop prevented him from covering off the threat, dropping him behind the Argentine when he rejoined.
Things then swung further against Liam when Fernando Alonso stopped on track shortly afterwards, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Gasly was able to make his final stop under the neutralisation and emerged ahead of both Colapinto and Liam, dropping the Kiwi outside the points and leaving him with work to do in the closing stages.
For a time, it looked as though Liam’s afternoon would end just shy of the points. The Kiwi remained within sight of the cars ahead, though he simply didn't have the pace to close the gap.
Then, with just four laps remaining, the complexion of the race changed dramatically.
Kimi Antonelli ground to a halt with a mechanical issue, bringing out another Virtual Safety Car, while Charles Leclerc was also battling a power steering problem that saw the Ferrari tumble down the order. Suddenly, Liam found himself back inside the Top 10 and on course for another points finish.
When racing resumed for the final lap and a half, the Kiwi remained tucked in behind Colapinto, crossing the line ninth on the road after a race that had seemed destined to end outside the points.
The good news didn't stop there. Several hours after the chequered flag, Colapinto was handed a 10-second penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags, promoting Liam to eighth and adding two more championship points to his tally.
While the final result owed something to the drama unfolding around him, Liam had once again put himself in a position to capitalise. Slow pit stops, an untimely Virtual Safety Car and the undercut from Colapinto had all worked against him throughout the afternoon, yet the Kiwi remained in the fight and was there to take advantage when opportunities presented themselves.
The result marked Liam's third consecutive points finish and another valuable haul of championship points. More importantly, it helped strengthen his hold on a place inside the Top 10 of the Drivers' Championship, with the Kiwi now sitting 10th on 28 points and 10 clear of Oliver Bearman in 11th.
It was also another encouraging afternoon for Racing Bulls. Liam's eighth-place finish, combined with teammate Arvid Lindblad's ninth, saw the team add six more points to their tally as they continue to chase Alpine in the battle for fifth in the Constructors' Championship.
After back-to-back race weekends, Liam now gets a brief one-week pause before Formula One returns at the Red Bull Ring in Austria for Round 8 of the 2026 season over June 26-28.
Be sure to keep an eye on our socials for the full preview and schedule heading into the weekend.
Congratulations on another points finish Liam! The momentum just keeps building!
