Sports

Lawson Secures Ninth at Austin, Boosts Racing Bulls’ Constructors Standings

By Newstalk ZB, Alex Powell

Liam Lawson finished ninth in the US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, earning two points and his 13th points finish of the season. The Kiwi, who described the track as his favourite, completed 56 laps largely in a no‑man’s land position, too slow to challenge the cars ahead but fast enough to avoid pressure from those behind after Racing Bulls’ upgrade package. The result keeps Lawson ninth in the drivers’ championship with 77 points, 35 points clear of his nearest rival, and extends Racing Bulls’ advantage over Alpine in the constructors’ championship to 33 points, with an estimated $180 million prize money available for the fifth‑place team.

Lawson’s race engineer, Alexandre Iliopoulos, said the race was “a bit of a boring one, but we like boring,” while Lawson praised the car’s performance, noting a brief understeer at the start but a “so good” drive overall.

At the front, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli won his ninth race of the season, but his championship lead remains 123 points, short of the 125‑point margin needed to secure the title. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, 124 points behind Antonelli, while Charles Leclerc finished second and Max Verstappen third.

Lawson’s teammate Arvid Lindblad started 14th after an engine penalty and finished 12th.

The race was part of a triple‑header, with the Mexican Grand Prix scheduled for next week. Lawson, who has not yet confirmed his 2027 driver status, said his goal was to hold position rather than fight for places, a strategy that saw him finish untroubled in ninth.

Full finishing order: 1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 5. Lando Norris (McLaren) 6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 8. George Russell (Mercedes) 9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 11. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) 12. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 13. Esteban Ocon (Haas) 14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) 15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 17. Alex Albon (Williams) 18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac).