Racing Bulls' Austria breakthrough marred by team-order confusion
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 29, 2026
Racing Bulls breakthrough
Racing Bulls left the Austrian Grand Prix with a double points finish and a slice of team history, as Liam Lawson took ninth and Arvid Lindblad came home 10th. The result gave the team its third consecutive race with both cars in the points and its third straight double top-10 finish, a run that has turned steady progress into a firm pattern. Racing Bulls said the result was the first double points finish in its history, which dates back to the Minardi debut in 1985. The weekend also lifted the team to 44 constructors’ points and left it 13 behind fifth-placed Alpine. For a team that spent the first part of the season looking for consistency, the Red Bull Ring delivered a cleaner picture. Both cars scored, both cars finished in the top 10 and both drivers walked away with points that mattered for the championship table. The team did not just collect a strong result. It backed it up with a sequence that now stretches across three races and points to a sharper race package when the conditions line up. Lawson said Racing Bulls made a step in race pace at the circuit, and the numbers matched that assessment.
Lawson pace and streak
Lawson’s afternoon carried more than one storyline. His early radio message briefly suggested his car might be on fire, but he later said the issue was brake smoke in the opening laps and that it settled down after that. Racing Bulls told him to protect overheated brakes, and that early management set the tone before the strategy and radio confusion arrived. Lawson later sent an angry message when Lindblad was told to hold position, and the order changed after the first pit stops, when Lindblad moved ahead and stayed in front through the middle stint. Racing Bulls eventually restored the order by bringing Lawson in earlier during the second stops, which let him retake the position. A team spokesperson said the problem came from a misunderstanding over the instruction to hold position, and stewards cleared Lawson of any penalty after an alleged practice-start infringement, ruling his actions appropriate in the circumstances. The result kept his momentum intact. Lawson has now scored in four straight Formula 1 races, the first New Zealand driver to do so since Denny Hulme in 1973. He also has six points finishes in his seven completed races this season and remains 10th in the drivers’ standings with 30 points. The result showed the race pace he talked about and the control he showed once the brakes settled and the strategy sorted itself out.
Lindblad points run
Lindblad’s day ended with another points finish and another reminder that the work inside the cockpit does not always match the result sheet. He took 10th, earned his third consecutive points result and stayed part of a Racing Bulls run that has now produced points for both cars in three straight events. The middle part of his race grew complicated after he passed Lawson following the first pit stops and then held the position while the team sorted out the order. That sequence became the center of the radio chatter, but Lindblad kept his race alive and brought home another score for the team. He said he was happy with the result, but hard tires and braking gave him trouble. That detail fits the shape of his afternoon. He had to manage the car, manage the tire changes and manage the pressure that comes when a teammate is behind and the team wants a clean finish. The payoff was still valuable. Lindblad now has three consecutive points results, a run that supports Racing Bulls’ broader climb through the midfield. Combined with Lawson’s streak and the team’s first double points finish in its long history, the Austrian Grand Prix gave Racing Bulls a result that was more than a single strong Sunday. It showed a team collecting points with both cars, solving problems in real time and leaving with a stronger position in the constructors’ fight.
