Lawson explains Racing Bulls' Shanghai 'struggle' after Melbourne high

Liam Lawson says the Shanghai International Circuit's characteristics do not suit the Racing Bulls VCARB 01, as the team failed to carry its strong Melbourne form into Sprint Qualifying in China. After both cars qualified in the top 10 for the Australian Grand Prix, Lawson and rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad were eliminated in SQ2, highlighting a circuit-specific challenge for the Faenza-based squad.

Why it matters:

The performance swing between Melbourne and Shanghai underscores the fine margins in Formula 1's competitive midfield and the critical role circuit characteristics play. For a team like Racing Bulls, which aims to consistently fight for points, understanding and mitigating these track-dependent weaknesses is key to a successful season. This early-season contrast provides a clear data point on the car's strengths and limitations.

The details:

• Lawson qualified 13th for the Sprint Race, with Lindblad 15th, a stark contrast to their P7 and P10 grid slots in Australia.
• The New Zealander noted the team made a positive setup step after the sole practice session, stating, "I was actually quite happy... It was not a bad lap."
• He directly attributed the struggle to the track layout: "Melbourne suited our car and here, it's not as good for us."
• A major challenge shared by the entire grid was severe tire graining in the cool Shanghai conditions, which Lawson expects will impact the Sprint Race.

What's next:

The immediate focus is on managing the tire graining challenge in Saturday's Sprint Race, with Lawson referencing last year's event where graining was worse in the Sprint than the Grand Prix. The team will use the remaining track time to gather data and refine the setup for the main Grand Prix qualifying and race, seeking to recover from the qualifying setback and salvage a points finish if possible. The weekend will test the team's ability to adapt and problem-solve when their car is not in its preferred operating window.