Lawson lacking confidence in Qatar to ‘put it on the limit’

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Liam Lawson said he didn’t have the confidence in Friday’s qualifying at Lusail to put his AlphaTauri car on the limit, but the Kiwi feels that opportunity could come knocking in Saturday’s sprint.

Lawson qualified P18 for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, his lowest position on the grid since his debut at Zandvoort in August.

The 21-year-old was an absolute beginner at Lusail, having never visited the venue previously. In addition to learning the track in Friday’s single practice session, he also had to compose, like his colleagues, with a howling wind and sand blown in from the desert, which put grip at a premium.

“Today was tricky,” he admitted after qualifying. “Since we hit the track in FP1, I’ve been struggling with the car, and I know everybody was with the way the track was.

“I think we narrowed down the issues we experienced in practice, but not enough, and we still have things to look into.

Read also: Lawson says FaceTime call from Ricciardo confirmed Qatar drive

“The track was quite dusty in FP1, but it cleaned up a lot for qualifying and was a lot better. The final laps felt good, but I was struggling with the handling of the car.

“There are some corners we need to look into to find more time because I didn’t have the confidence to really push and put it on the limit, but with the different format this weekend, there are definitely opportunities.”

Consistent with F1’s Sprint format, Saturday will consist of a Sprint Shootout that will assign everyone’s grid position for the evening’s 30-minute mad dash.

“We improved the balance throughout FP1 but knew there was still more to do for qualifying,” explained AlphaTauri chief race engineer Jonathan Eddolls.

“We had good run plans and executed Q1 well, but Liam didn't have the consistent balance needed to progress through to Q2.

“At least with this format, he has another chance at the Sprint qualifying tomorrow.

Lawson’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda comfortably progressed to Q2 but just missed out on making the top-ten shootout.

“It's not the first time we have finished in P11 by such a small margin this season, but at least we start close to the points on Sunday,” commented Eddolls.

“Understanding the tyres will be difficult for the race, so we will do all we can to maximise our opportunities. We now shift our focus to the Sprint qualifying preparations.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.