Lawson: Racing Bulls maximized São Paulo result
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 8, 2026
Lawson’s fifth-place qualifying
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson qualified fifth for the São Paulo Grand Prix in wet conditions, then said the team still left pace on the table. He was set to start third after penalties for George Russell and Charles Leclerc, and his first run in Q3 briefly put him on provisional pole before the session changed again. Lawson said he did not fully maximize his Q3 effort, pointing to the moment he caught Fernando Alonso and the rain intensified. That cost him a final lap and ended his chance to improve. Even so, he came away encouraged by the speed he found in the car. Lawson said Racing Bulls had more pace to extract and that the machine worked well in both wet and dry conditions. He also said the weather gave the team a better chance in Sunday’s race, which matched the feeling inside the garage after a session that put Racing Bulls in position to attack from near the front of the midfield.
Racing Bulls pace
Lawson carried that promise into the race, where he started from third and briefly ran as high as second before the field settled in and the midfield fight tightened. The opening phase showed how much the wet conditions had helped Racing Bulls on Saturday, but the grand prix quickly became a longer test of pace, tire life and track position. Lawson could not stay near the front for the full distance, yet the team still had enough speed to stay in the points conversation. The late-race penalty for Leclerc changed the final order again. Leclerc received a five-second penalty for causing contact with Lawson, and that drop lifted Lawson from eighth to seventh at the checkered flag. It was a solid return from a race that began with real promise and then moved into the grind that often decides the midfield. Lawson’s comments after the race matched the result. He saw a car that had more to give, but he also saw a team that used the conditions well enough to put itself in the mix when others could not.
Lawson’s standings battle
The bigger picture also matters for Racing Bulls. The team remained fifth in the constructors’ standings and held a 43-point lead over Alpine. Lawson said the group would not settle until the battle for fifth was finished, which keeps the pressure on even after a productive weekend. That stance reflects where the team stands in the championship. It has built a cushion, but it has not built comfort. Every points finish still matters, and every race offers another chance to strengthen the position. Lawson’s run in São Paulo helped that cause. The qualifying pace gave the team a shot at a strong result. More important, the weekend reinforced the idea that Racing Bulls can compete in the wet and still score when the race turns messy. Lawson left São Paulo with the same message the team carried into it. Racing Bulls can still find more speed, and it will keep pushing until the fight for fifth is decided.
