Liam Lawson Reveals Key Racing Bulls Move That Saved Brazilian GP

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Highlights

Liam Lawson switched to a one-stop strategy in Brazilian GP.
Started seventh, finished seventh behind teammate Isack Hadjar.
One-stop plan preserved track position over preferred two-stop plan.
Lawson managed tyre energy and pressure in final laps.
Sixth points finish of the 2025 season for Lawson.
Racing Bulls hold 82 points in Constructors’ Championship.

Liam Lawson says Racing Bulls switched him to a one-stop strategy during the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, prioritising track position and securing seventh place behind teammate Isack Hadjar.

He starts seventh with Hadjar fifth, on a preferred two-stop plan. As the second car in the queue, traffic risk grows, prompting the switch after the opening stint.

Lawson switched to a one-stop after the opening stint, preserving track position.

Lawson makes light contact with Hadjar into Turn 1 on the final lap. He finishes 52.642s behind winner Lando Norris, having earlier lost a place to Pierre Gasly.

Aston Martin F1 car on track, illustrative image — Image Credit: Motorsport

Racing Bulls abandons the outright fastest approach. A second stop would drop Lawson into dense traffic, where DRS trains and similar tyre age limit progress for the second car.

The one-stop extends stint length, trading lap time for track position. Lawson balances battery deployment and brake migration with careful tyre management to keep pursuers out of range in DRS.

He led a DRS train stretching to Alonso in P14, just over three seconds back.

That defence proves stressful, he admits. The pack stacks from Juncao, with Fernando Alonso in 14th just over three seconds behind as Lawson manages tyre pressures and energy.

Seventh place marks his sixth points finish of 2025. Racing Bulls climbs to 82 points in the Constructors’ standings, underscoring steady gains from consistent Sunday execution.

Liam Lawson during a Racing Bulls session, illustrative image — Image Credit: Motorsport Week

Racing Bulls hold 82 points after Brazil, reflecting improved race-day execution.

Team dynamics remain disciplined. With Hadjar ahead, Lawson races hard but avoids escalation, even after the Turn 1 touch, allowing the pair to lock in a double top-seven result.

Strategically, the outcome validates flexibility. Splitting strategies when both cars qualify strongly gives Racing Bulls options, especially at Interlagos, where pit delta and DRS traffic punish late stops.

Lawson’s composure under pressure strengthens his case for heavier strategic responsibility in the run-in, as Racing Bulls targets incremental gains through clean execution rather than raw pace alone.