Liam Lawson misses top-10 in Austin GP heat
- Dave Worsley
- Oct 20
- 2 min read
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson has just missed out of the points at the Formula One US Grand Prix, finishing 11th after mid-field battle in the heat in Austin, Texas.
Lawson, 23 improved one place from his 12th place on the starting grid, spending most of the race checking the health of his tyres on a demanding Circuit of the Americas track.
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Defending world champion Max Verstappen went start-to-finish for his third consecutive victory for Red Bull and close the gap further on the two table-topping McLaren drivers - leader Oscar Piastri and second-placed Lando Norris.
Lawson was in a tight contest with Aston Martin rivals Fernando Alonso (10th) and Lance Stroll (12th).
Lawson needed a top-10 finish to add to his points tally, having missed the points by one place in the sprint race, when he finished ninth.
He remains 14th with five rounds remaining, as he looks to impress Red Bull bosses that he is worthy of a contract next year.
Lawson's drive in the main race will have neither enhanced nor spoiled his prospects.
He lost ground on the opening lap, dropping to 13th when Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda went past several rivals.
Lawson received a boost on lap seven when Wiliams driver Carlos Sainz was eliminated after being involved in a skirmish with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. It was the biggest incident of the race, resulting in a yellow
Lawon's medium-strength tyres gave him problems over subsequent laps before a mid-race pit stop - his only stop of the race - Lawson switched to soft tyres.
The second half of the race was largely a procession, with drivers wary of passing and putting strain on their tyres in the sweltering temperatures which were reportedly higher than 40C at the venue.
Mexico hosts the 20th round of the championship next weekend.
