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Liam Lawson Fights to Survive in Dramatic Failed Chase
Highlights
- Liam Lawson started 11th but struggled throughout Miami GP.
- Collision with Max Verstappen led to position swap.
- Gearbox failure on Lap 6 caused crash with Pierre Gasly.
- Both Lawson and Gasly retired due to collision incident.
- Lawson criticized car balance and lack of competitive pace.
- Team aims for improvements amid ongoing F1 rule debates.
Liam Lawson endures a bruising Miami Grand Prix, starting 11th for Racing Bulls and retiring early after contact with Pierre Gasly, following early Verstappen clash and a reported gearbox failure.
From lights-out, Lawson lacks grip and balance, spending the opening laps defending rather than attacking.
An early exchange with Max Verstappen forces Lawson off track, prompting a position swap that costs momentum without visible damage.
Early contact with Verstappen results in a position swap after an off-track pass.
Racing Bulls appears short on overall pace through practice and the race, leaving tyre management marginal and straight-line speed insufficient for counter-attacks.
Lawson reports a gearbox problem on lap six at Turn 17, just as Pierre Gasly completes an overtake, triggering contact that flips Gasly onto the TecPro barrier.
Lawson reports a gearbox failure on lap six moments before contacting Gasly at Turn 17.
Both drivers retire on the spot, ending Lawson’s faint points prospects and underlining the weekend’s reliability concerns.
Post-race, Lawson identifies an imbalanced car from the outset, with setup changes failing to open a workable performance window.
[p]That leaves Racing Bulls chasing a baseline that delivers predictable rotation and traction, rather than peaky behaviour that punishes the rear tyres.[/p]
Racing Bulls lacks balance and sustained pace all weekend, keeping Lawson outside realistic points contention.
The Miami weekend also tests Formula 1’s latest rule changes, drawing mixed paddock reactions despite Max Verstappen’s win and continued criticism of specific elements.
For Racing Bulls, the lesson is clear: improve reliability and performance, stabilise balance, and qualify stronger to avoid early traffic that compounds weaknesses.
Development updates across 2026 offer opportunity, but rivals will advance too, demanding larger steps to rejoin the midfield fight consistently.
Lawson remains pragmatic, targeting incremental gains and cleaner weekends as the team refines setup direction and component durability.
Visual Summary
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Gearbox Failure Chaos
Lawson’s Miami GP unraveled in seconds:
Lap 6 crash ➔ Double DNF ➔ Zero points
Lawson’s Miami GP unraveled in seconds:
Lap 6 crash ➔ Double DNF ➔ Zero points
Started:
P11
P11
Laps Completed:
5 / 57
5 / 57
“We were chasing the right setup, but just couldn’t find it. The car’s balance was off—and we need bigger steps to catch up.”
– Liam Lawson
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Rule Changes
Rule Changes
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Fixes Coming
Fixes Coming
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Hope Stays
Hope Stays
James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.
