Liam Lawson failed to get out of Q1 for the first time this year during qualifying for the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, leaving the Visa Cash App RB driver to rage at one rival driver.
Slender margins split the rear of the field in the first phase of qualifying for the Qatar GP this Saturday. Williams star Alex Albon and RB pilot Lawson narrowly missed out on a place in Q2 by only 0.026 and 0.047 seconds respectively to Yuki Tsunoda in the second VCARB 01 car.
Tsunoda edged into the second part of qualifying by the skin of his teeth with a 1:22.364 lap of the Lusail International Circuit. It came as a hammer blow for Lawson, who held 15th place before his Visa Cash App RB racer crossed the finish line in the final seconds of the stage.
Liam Lawson incorrectly rages at Fernando Alonso in Qatar Grand Prix qualifying
Albon was the first driver on the bubble to post a lap time with his 1:22.390 and Lawson was unable to better the London-born Thai’s time. But with one last roll of the dice, Tsunoda had enough pace in his pocket to move into Q2 and avoid the 24-year-old’s fifth Q1 exit this year.
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Neither Tsunoda nor Lawson had fallen in Q1 since RB welcomed the latter to replace Daniel Ricciardo at the United States Grand Prix. Lawson even qualified P5 for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in heavy rain at Interlagos. But much to the Kiwi’s irritation, his run met its end in Lusail.
Lawson felt Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso was partly responsible for ruining his Q1 in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, as well. However, Lawson’s race engineer Pierre Hamelin instantly corrected the Kiwi for blaming Alonso as Lance Stroll caused his frustrations in Q1.
“Alonso purposefully slowed up through [Turns] 9 and 10 when he aborted his lap,” Lawson vented over RB’s radio. “It just sucks, man.”
Liam Lawson knows he must deliver to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull in 2025
If Lawson was impeded in whatever way by Stroll – not Alonso – backing off between Turns 9 and 10, the Visa Cash App RB driver would naturally be angry given the tight margins that separated him from advancing to Q2 instead of Tsunoda and a first Q1 exit of the campaign.
The 22-year-old also knows that any disappointing performance can have a huge impact on his hopes for 2025. While Tsunoda has a contract with RB for next season, the Faenza team are still yet to confirm the Japanese racer’s partner as Red Bull decide Sergio Perez’s future.
Helmut Marko has stated that Red Bull will discuss sacking Perez after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next week. If the Mexican is given the boot, then RB may need a new pilot with Lawson the favourite to replace Perez at Red Bull. If not, then Lawson should return with RB in 2025.
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