Lawson eyes small margins after “competitive” Friday in Baku

Liam Lawson left Friday practice in Baku satisfied with back-to-back top-ten results, but the Racing Bulls driver stressed there’s no room for complacency as he urges his team to “continue to chase the small margins” around the Azerbaijan streets.

Easing out of the pitlane with the first group of runners in FP1, Lawson was reacquainted with the Baku City Circuit for the first time since his junior Formula days.

Despite the cobwebs, the #30 recorded a fastest time of 1:45.806s within his opening five laps before a Red Flag interrupted his C6 compound proceedings.

After a delay of more than 20 minutes, the Kiwi quickly found his rhythm again, rising into the top five and running six-tenths off the leading pace. 

In the closing minutes, he posted his best effort of the hour, a 1:43.903s, which left him ninth as the chequered flag waved, while his teammate, Isack Hadjar, was the final driver to sneak into the top ten, less than a tenth behind Lawson.

“It’s been a good day for us,” Lawson said.

“I haven’t raced here in a few years and it feels very different to what I remember in F2. 

“I think they did a great job at cleaning the track this weekend as it has good grip from the outset, so we’re driving a little faster than Qualifying times.

“We always aim to be in the top ten each weekend, so it of course feels good to be there at the end of FP2.

“The consistency of the car has been very strong recently, so we need to continue to chase the small margins.”

Building on his top-ten finish from FP1, Lawson’s second session began shakily as he locked up into Turn 15 and ran wide, briefly triggering yellow flags.

It took more than ten minutes for the Kiwi to post a representative time on the board, but once he did, the RB driver jumped into the top five with a time of 1:42.656s. 

A spell in the pitlane saw him slip toward the edge of the top ten, before returning on mediums to climb as high as fourth, just half a tenth shy of former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.

With 15 minutes to go, Lawson switched to a fresh set of C5s, using them for his first long-run effort to gain crucial representative tyre data, before ending FP2 in seventh place.

Reflecting on Friday’s running, Racing Bulls Chief Race Engineer Mattia Spini highlighted Pirelli’s softer tyre allocation of the C6, C5, and C4 as an added challenge, noting “tyre usage and management [as] key factors for the weekend”.

“In FP1, both drivers finished in the middle of the timesheets, with room to improve through further driving refinement and setup work,” Spini said. 

“During FP2, we alternated the C5 and C6 tyres across the two cars to gather comparative data. 

“Liam closed a competitive lap, while Isack did not maximise his attempt. 

“With cooler temperatures and shifting winds expected tomorrow, the team will use today’s findings to assemble the best possible package for qualifying and the race.”

With today’s running reflecting a possible Q3 appearance on the cards at Racing Bulls, the final hour of practice, expected to take place under tricky conditions, will prove vital for Lawson and Hadjar as they continue to commit the demands of the Baku City Circuit to memory.

Free Practice 3 will kick off at 18:30 AEST, followed by the all-important hour shootout to determine the starting order for Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix at 22:00 AEST.

Image: Simon Galloway/LAT Images // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool.

2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Weekend Schedule (AEST):

Friday, September 19th:

FP1: 18:30 – 19:30

FP2: 22:00 – 23:00

Saturday, September 20th:

FP3: 18:30 – 19:30

Qualifying: 22:00 – 23:00

Sunday, September 21st:

Race: 21:00

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