Liam Lawson blasts Racing Bulls' straight-line speed after Spa GP loss to Lindblad

Liam Lawson suffered a sixth-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday as Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad outpaced him in straight-line battles.

What happened at Spa?

Lindblad, running the upgraded VCARB 03, beat Lawson in a series of wheel-to-wheel duels on the straights at Spa. The Kiwi crossed the line 12th, his first non-points finish in six races. Lawson lost out to Lindblad, Gabriel Bortoleto, and both Alpine teammates Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly on the Kemmel Straight.

Why it matters for Liam Lawson

Lawson admitted his Racing Bulls lacked straight-line speed after the race. Over the team radio, he told the pit wall: “Every single wheel-to-wheel combat I had today, I lost on the straights.” His race engineer, Ernesto Desiderio, replied: “I know, Liam. I know. There was something not right.”

Lindblad’s side of the story

Lindblad, who started ninth after penalties, credited his energy deployment for the close call. “The deployment wasn’t amazing. Even though I pressed the boost, I pressed it about 50 metres too late,” he said. Lindblad finished ninth, while Lawson’s 12th place left him 10th in the Drivers’ Championship on 39 points.

What comes next for Lawson

Lawson remains 17 points clear of Lindblad in the standings. But his frustration over straight-line speed points to deeper issues for Racing Bulls. The team will review the data after Spa to find out what went wrong.