Liam Lawson leads Alpine's Pierre Gasly at Formula One's US Grand Prix. Photo / Red Bull
For the second time in two days, Liam Lawson missed the points by one place, as the Kiwi settled for 11th place at Formula One’s US Grand Prix.
Returning to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas after moving from 19th to ninth one year earlier, there was to be no repeat from the Racing Bulls driver in 2025.
Lawson drove admirably to defend 11th place from the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, but the Kiwi will be frustrated at missing the points, after also taking ninth in Sunday’s sprint.
The result is a mixed one for Lawson; while he was the better of the two Racing Bulls drivers - teammate Isack Hadjar finished 16th after crashing in qualifying - Red Bull rival Yuki Tsunoda was able to go from 13th on the grid to finish seventh and bank six points.
And as Lawson and Tsunoda battle to secure a seat at Racing Bulls for 2026, the gap between the pair is now just two points in the Kiwi’s favour, with Red Bull teasing a decision after next week’s Mexican Grand Prix.
“The start wasn’t amazing,” Lawson said post-race. “I got boxed at turn one, and lost a place, which in the end has cost us a point today.
“Overall, we weren’t really quick enough, to be honest. It was very hard to overtake. Aston had us – one in front, one behind – they had control of us.
“[It was] a frustrating race. We had points available all weekend that we’ve missed out on.
“It’s pretty frustrating.”
At the front of the grid, Max Verstappen continued to eat into Oscar Piastri’s lead in the race for the world championship by taking the chequered flag for the fifth time this season.
The Dutchman banked another 25 points, on top of his eight from Sunday’s sprint win, to clean sweep the weekend, and further push his chances for a fifth straight world title.
Piastri was only able to cross the line fifth, while teammate Lando Norris also ate into the Australian’s advantage by finishing second, as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the podium in third.
With five grands prix and two sprint races still to come this year, Piastri leads Norris by 14 points, with Verstappen now having cut his gap to 40 points.
Starting on medium tyres, Racing Bulls’ strategy ensured that Lawson wouldn’t repeat the plan that saw him go from 19th to ninth last year, where he began on hards before finishing on the faster compound.
But after he was forced wide by Tsunoda at turn one, Lawson dropped from 12th to 13th, while his Red Bull rival climbed into the top 10.
That left Lawson behind Fernando Alonso, and although he was within a second, and therefore able to use his drag reduction system (DRS), track temperatures in the mid 40s left all drivers cautious of pushing their tyres too hard.
As Alonso fell out of range of Nico Hulkenberg in 11th, Lawson remained hot on the two-time world champion’s heels.
On lap seven, a collision at turn 15 between Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz ruined the races for both the Mercedes and Williams, and triggered a virtual safety car. Sainz was forced to retire, while Antonelli dropped from the top 10 to the back of the grid.
That, though, had Lawson climb from 13th to 11th, and one place outside the points.
After two laps under yellow flags, racing resumed, with Lawson just half a second back from Alonso, Pierre Gasly’s Alpine behind him pushed to close the gap on the Racing Bulls.
By lap 14, Lawson began to complain to his race engineer about his tyres, even after moving outside of Gasly’s DRS range. Pit stops, then, became vital.
As Tsunoda pitted on lap 30, Lawson was able to move up into 10th, before the Kiwi stopped one lap later.
However, Alonso pitted at the same time, and spared any chance of being undercut by the Racing Bulls, as both drivers fitted a set of softs, and emerged in 14th and 15th respectively.
As drivers pitted ahead of him, Lawson got around Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber on lap 34, and moved back to 12th, where he’d started, and then back to 11th when Alex Albon stopped on lap 37.
With one Aston Martin in front of him, Lawson came under attack from the second behind him, as Stroll – on medium tyres - forced the Kiwi to defend, on top of attempting to overtake Alonso.
Entering the final 10 laps, any chance of two-stop strategies went out the window, as Lawson battled with the Aston Martins for the final point.
But having impressed in Austria to defend Alonso and retain sixth place, Lawson got to the end without too much trouble from Stoll, and came home narrowly outside a points finish.
Formula One backs up for a second race in as many weeks, with the Mexican Grand Prix to be raced next Monday.
Did not finish: Carlos Sainz - Williams
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.