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Lawson mourning British GP “full of opportunity”

Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, looks ahead on the grid at the 2025 F1 British Grand Prix.

By Reese Mautone

Liam Lawson’s British Grand Prix came to an abrupt end on the opening lap following a collision with Esteban Ocon that left his Racing Bulls car with terminal damage, though he maintained he “wasn’t trying to do anything aggressive”.

Starting from 15th on the grid, the slippery conditions only compounded the huge effort Lawson had ahead of him when the five lights went out, however, in a cruel turn of events, the span of his British GP campaign lasted just five corners.

“Unfortunately, our race ended early due to a racing incident,” the Racing Bulls said. 

“We made the right call on tyres and had a strong start, so it’s a shame we couldn’t show the car’s full potential. 

“I think we had a really good car today, especially suited to the mixed conditions.

“It was a race full of opportunity, and we missed out on some big points.”

Making his way through the thinned grid, Lawson found himself tussling for position with the Haas of Ocon.

Running side-by-side through the opening sequence of corners, Lawson and Ocon came together at Turn 5, where the Racing Bulls driver closed the door, unaware that Ocon had nowhere to go with a Red Bull occupying the space to his left.

With his rear wheel clipped by the Haas driver, Lawson was sent spinning onto the run-off area at the start of the Wellington Straight as he jumped on the radio to vent his frustration.

“I’m out! Who the hell was that?” Lawson said.

“Whoever this Haas was next to me, dude, he just drove straight into the side of me.”

Carrying terminal damage to the floor of his VCARB 02, which affected his suspension, the Kiwi was forced to retire to the side of the track, with his only mark on the race being the subsequent Virtual Safety Car. 

The stewards deemed the collision a racing incident, withholding any penalties against either party for their role in the opening lap scrap.

Unable to delve deeper into the run-in with Ocon, Lawson had yet to review the collision before speaking with the media.

“I mean, I haven’t seen it so I have no idea what happened,” the #30 said.

“We went next to each other through [Turns 3 and 4] and then I tried to… I honestly tried to give space through [Turn] 5, and then I just got a massive hit.

“And I wasn’t trying to do anything aggressive, and I still have no idea what happened, so I’ll have a look.”

After a bruising debut at Silverstone, Lawson will take the two-week break to reset and refocus ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, a favourite among both drivers and fans.

“Looking ahead to Spa in a few weeks, we’re aiming for another weekend in the points,” the Kiwi said. 

“It’ll be another special one in an F1 car.”

It wasn’t just the #30’s side of the garage that left Silverstone empty-handed, however, with Isack Hadjar also crashing out of the British Grand Prix to make for a forgettable double DNF in Silverstone.

The French rookie lasted just 17 laps before the wet and wild conditions got the better of him, with a lack of visibility drawing Hadjar unknowingly into the rear of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, sending him spinning into the barriers at Turn 9.  

Speaking on his rookie drivers’ British Grand Prix retirements, Racing Bulls Team Principal Laurent Mekies said his top priority was confirming the safety of Lawson and Hadjar after their incidents.

“To start with the most important thing, both Liam and Isack are okay, they escaped the accidents they had unhurt,” Mekies said, before expressing his disappointment at the wasted potential of the VCARB 02.

“There is never a good day to lose both cars in crashes, but it is what it is; today was not a good day for that. 

“What matters is that we have a strong car, strong drivers and we were fast again this weekend. 

“However, we do leave here with zero points and we will be working very hard to improve on the few things that have derailed our weekend. 

“We will be regrouping, preparing for Spa and turning up trying to use the pace of the car that we are confident we have. 

“It might not have been the result we wanted to leave Silverstone with, but the hard work and team spirit in both Faenza and Milton Keynes is very high, and I’d like to thank everyone for pushing to unlock the next steps together.”

Running as the third Sprint weekend of the season after the Chinese Grand Prix and Miami Grand Prix, the Belgian Grand Prix will provide more opportunities for the Racing Bulls duo to right their British wrongs with a maximum of ten additional points on offer in Spa-Francorchamps. 

The field will have just one hour of practice to reacquaint themselves with the iconic track before the competition kicks off, with the Belgian Grand Prix weekend running from July 25-27. 

Image: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool.

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