As Liam Lawson noted before the season began, starting the season on two tracks he hasn’t previously raced at was always going to make things difficult for him.
Sure enough after the first two qualifying sessions of 2025 – one grand prix, one sprint race – he has been further away from his team mate than anyone else on the grid both times.
However Carlos Sainz Jnr, another driver in a new team, was almost as far behind Alexander Albon at Williams. Lawson wasn’t the only driver who had a hard time keeping his tyre temperatures under control.
Teams’ improvement from practice to qualifying
Red Bull again revealed little of their true pace during practice. Max Verstappen peeled off into the pits before completing his…