Liam Lawson failed to finish the Canadian Grand Prix with a power unit issue.
The Racing Bulls driver had been fast in practice, but qualified 19th.
Teammate Isack Hadjar could only finish 16th as he bids to impress Red Bull.
There’s only so much you can do from the back of the grid.
But even with that in mind, Formula One’s Canadian Grand Prix was another race for Liam Lawson to forget in 2025.
Even with a fresh power unit, Lawson’s fortunes didn’t change, as a cooling issuemeant the Kiwi was forced to retire – when he was already running at the back of the grid.
However, it feels like the main issue for the Kiwi to fix is becoming clearer and clearer each Grand Prix.
Here’s what we learned in Montreal:
Mr Friday?
Over the past couple of years, Mercedes’ George Russell – who won in Montreal – earned the nickname “Mr Saturday” for his abilities in qualifying, seeming to overshadow what he’d do in a race.
In Lawson’s case, “Mr Friday” might be more apt. For the past three grands prix, Lawson has been a top-10 finisher in five of the six free practice (FP) sessions.
Admittedly, practice is very rarely any kind of meaningful correlation to how a race will run. On the other side of that, though, Free Practice Two (FP2) is generally the most comparable gauge for qualifying the next day, given the track conditions will be the same for drivers.
Lawson’s recent run of results in FP2 make for good reading. In Monaco, he was fifth, while Barcelona and Montreal saw him 10th in each.
The biggest worry, though, is that he can’t convert them into similar showings in qualifying.
Throughout Formula Two and Japan’s Super Formula, qualifying has traditionally been one of Lawson’s biggest strengths. Being fast over one lap is a terrific skill, one that Lawson had in spades.
Liam Lawson had more struggles in Montreal. Photo / Red Bull Content Pool
It’s not rocket science to say that the higher he starts, the more likely Lawson will get a result. It’s no coincidence that his highest start this year resulted in his only points to date.
That, more than anything else, is what Lawson needs to fix for the rest of the season.
Another strategy stitch-up
As the lights went out in Montreal, Racing Bulls looked to have nailed it with Lawson’s strategy.
The hot conditions at the Circuit de Giles Villeneuve left drivers on softer tyres struggling, as the track temperature laid waste to the medium compound.
Lawson, and a host of other driver who didn’t qualify in the top 10, started on hards and climbed as high as 14th when drivers ahead of him were forced to pit.
From there, the plan seemed simple enough: Lawson needed to manage his tyres for at the very least 50 laps and pit for the mediums to finish faster on a one-stop strategy.
It was the same strategy Racing Bulls used last year in Austin, where Lawson went from 19th to ninth.
Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls car in the pits in Montreal. Photo / Red Bull Content Pool
And yet he was called into the pits at the end of lap 39. Had he not been forced to retire with a power unit issue, Lawson would have almost certainly needed to pit again, relegating him further down the field.
That call came after qualifying, when Lawson was left in the garage too long after a red flag and wasn’t able to properly warm his tyres before attempting a final push lap.
It might feel like excuse after excuse, but Lawson’s team are doing him no favours with some of these strategies, at a time when everything seems to be falling in his teammate’s favour.
Speaking of which ...
Heavy is the crown
For all the hype around his rapid rise in his debut campaign, this felt like Isack Hadjar’s worst effort of 2025 so far.
The 20-year-old finished 16th, after qualifying ninth and being forced to start 12th after he was penalised for impeding Carlos Sainz.
Make no mistake, Hadjar has been the standout driver so far this year. So much so that it feels like he’s now the next driver in line to be forced through the Red Bull pipeline and be promoted into the senior team in 2026.
“I wouldn’t feel ready,” Hadjar said last week. “I’m just nine races in and it looks to be complicated when you look at Yuki [Tsunoda] and Liam, who are very quality drivers.
“So no, I’m not very ready but I would always be up for the call, that’s for sure.”
In a sport where confidence is so important, Hadjar’s admission says plenty. What’s more, it won’t have gone unnoticed by Red Bull’s decision-makers either.
Lindblad looms
Given another poor weekend for Yuki Tsunoda, the Red Bull rumour mill will only continue to churn.
Verstappen got through the race without earning any penalty points to incur a suspension for Austria, but the speculation over that second seat next to him hasn’t died down.
Even with a poor result, Hadjar would have to remain the front-runner for next year, given Lawson’s inability to consistently better his teammate.
In between the Spanish and Canadian Grands Prix, though, another variable has been thrown into the Red Bull equation.
Formula Two prodigy Arvid Lindblad has been given an exemption for his Super Licence before his 18th birthday, and by the letter of the law can be promoted into Racing Bulls – effective immediately.
Is it a “just in case” for if Verstappen cops a ban? Are Red Bull intending to make a switch later this season, and reshuffle the deck of Lawson, Hadjar and Tsunoda?
Only the likes of Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko could answer for sure.
One thing is certain, though, Lindblad will be on the grid in 2026.
Back to Europe
Having just had a week off between races, we’ll now have another before returning for the European leg of the season.
Austria’s Red Bull Ring is next on the calendar and, unlike Canada, is a track that is consistent on the Formula Two and Three circuit.
As far as Lawson goes, the Kiwi boasts six races’ worth of experience and claimed victory in the second of those, all the way back in F3 in 2020.
That win saw him better Oscar Piastri, who won the championship that year and currently leads this year’s F1 standings.
And while it’d be a lot to ask of Lawson to take the chequered flag this time around, familiar climbs will hopefully help him bounce back after a difficult weekend in Canada.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.
