Sports · Motorsport · 2 hrs ago
Lawson targets Q3 after strong practice start at United States Grand Prix
Liam Lawson finished sixth in second practice at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, moving up from 10th in the opening session.
The New Zealander was ahead of both McLaren drivers, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped both sessions.
Racing Bulls brought a major aerodynamic upgrade, including changes to the floor, bodywork and front and rear wings.
Lawson said the car felt quicker, and the team plans to adjust its balance before qualifying.
Tyre wear was greater than expected in the hot conditions, though Lawson expects it to ease as the weekend goes on.
Lawson is aiming to reach Q3 in qualifying, which follows the final practice session on Saturday.
Teammate Arvid Lindblad was 13th in second practice and will start qualifying with a five-place grid penalty for a new engine.
Liam Lawson finished sixth in second practice for the United States Grand Prix after placing 10th in the first session.
His Racing Bulls car had a substantial aerodynamic upgrade, which Lawson said was working well.
Lawson said he would push for a place in Q3, while expecting further fine-tuning to find more pace.
He recorded a 1m36.331s in FP2, finishing ahead of both McLaren drivers.
Tyre wear was a concern in the hot conditions, and Lawson’s teammate Arvid Lindblad faces a five-place grid penalty.
- Who
- Liam Lawson, racing for Racing Bulls.
- What
- He finished sixth in second practice and said he would push for a place in Q3.
- When
- The opening practice day of the United States Grand Prix weekend; the article was published on 24 October 2026.
- Where
- Circuit of the Americas in Texas.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Lawson finished 10th, and a lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits.
Lawson finished sixth with a time of 1m36.331s, ahead of both McLaren drivers.
The final practice session is scheduled to begin.
Qualifying is scheduled to follow.
- FP2 position
- Sixth
- FP2 lap time
- 1m36.331s
- FP1 position
- 10th
- Upgrade
- New floor, bodywork, and front and rear wings on both cars
- Lindblad penalty
- Five-place grid penalty for taking a new internal combustion engine
What people are saying
I love driving here, so am looking forward to quali where we’ll be pushing for Q3.
There’s definitively more degradation than we expected, but it normally comes down throughout the weekend, so we’ll assess what it’s like tomorrow.
We have a new aero package on the car, comprising a new floor, bodywork and front and rear wings on both cars, which is working as expected.