New Zealand Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson, 2025. Photo: ANTONIN VINCENT / AFP
Formula 1 hits the mid point of the season at Silverstone this weekend with New Zealand driver Liam Lawson hoping to kick on from his best result of the year.
Lawson capped off a superb weekend in Austria by converting his sixth place in qualifying to a sixth place in the race.
It was just the second time he had picked up points this season and it helped Racing Bulls to improve to sixth in the constructors' championship.
That result would have given him some comfort and may have softened the view of some of his critics, but the 23-year-old Kiwi moved on quickly to prepare for the British Grand Prix.
"It's a new weekend on a very different track," Lawson said on the eve of practice.
"The main positive is that the car has been very fast recently and obviously we want to carry that forward this weekend but at the same time Formula One has been very close recently and we need to chase every session and try and extract everything we can."
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on his way to winning the 2024 British Grand Prix. Photo: Simon West / PHOTOSPORT
Silverstone is an old school circuit, infact it is as old as Formula 1 itself (75 years).
It is a high speed circuit with the cars at top speed for the majority of the lap.
Racing Bulls Chief Technical Officer Tim Goss said Silverstone is a circuit they like.
"The VCARB 02 has proved itself to deal with these characteristics well recently, both at Barcelona and Austria. Following an impressive 6th place finish at Austria, we arrive in the UK confident that we can dial the set-up in and continue to fight amongst the leading midfield teams."
Lawson is a fan of the track, which was built on a former RAF base and first hosted the 1948 British Grand Prix.
"Silverstone weekend brings an iconic track which we all grew up racing on in different categories," Lawson said.
"It's one of the most well-suited tracks to Formula One and I've been lucky enough to test an F1 car around it.
"I'm looking forward to racing on a high speed, technical track off the back of a great weekend in Austria."
Racing Bulls F1 lineup (L to R) Iasck Hadjar, Liam Lawson and Laurent Mekies. Photo: ANTONIN VINCENT / AFP
The weather played a part in Lewis Hamilton's victory last year and some rain could well make an appearance again this weekend.
Meanwhile Lawson will have one eye on the performance of British teenager Arvid Lindblad at Silverstone on Friday.
Lindblad will debut for Red Bull when he gets a practice session behind the wheel of Yuki Tsunoda's RB21.
The 17-year-old had his Super Licence fast-tracked to allow him to get into Formula One before his 18th birthday.
He was lined up incase world champion Max Verstappen was suspended.
The Dutchman's driving infringements means he's just one penalty point away from an automatic suspension.
Lindblad, who currently drives in F2, won the Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand last summer.
The future line-up for the four Red Bull cars (includes Racing Bulls) is up in the air with reports that Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes, while Tsunoda may leave with engine supplier Honda (and one of his backers) ending their involvement with Red Bull.
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