Lawson finishes eighth at Monaco Grand Prix
- NZ Sports Wire
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson has recorded his best-ever finish in a Formula 1 grand prix on the streets of Monaco.
The 23-year-old raced to eighth position at a pedestrian Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday (Monday NZ Time), collecting points for the first time in 13 races and for the fourth time in his F1 career.
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The result bettered Lawson's previous best finish of ninth, which he has achieved three times - the Singapore Grand Prix in 2023 and United States and Sao Paulo Grands Prix in 2024. He has matched his points total from last season.
After producing a career-best qualifying session on Saturday (Sunday NZT) to start ninth, Lawson picked up a place when Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso retired on lap 38, then frustrated the field with slow lap times.
Under team instructions to help out RB teammate Isack Hadjar, who eventually finished sixth, Lawson held up the rest of the field, regularly clocking up lap times five seconds slower than the leaders, creating a procession of cars behind him.
Ultimately, Hadjar and Lawson finished a lap down on the winner, McLaren's Lando Norris. Only five drivers finished on the lead lap, while only three were a lap down.
“It’s not often you have a plan and it executes perfectly and today to have done that is that great,” Lawson told F1TV.
The 12 points Racing Bulls’ two rookies earned moved the team up from eighth to seventh in the constructors’ championship, moving ahead of Aston Martin.
The F1 season continues with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next Sunday (1am Monday NZT).
