Liam Lawson reacts to finishing as the best of the midfield in the F1 Singapore GP
Liam Lawson believes his seventh-place finish at the 2026 Singapore GP was a satisfying result. Speaking to media, including Vision F1, the Racing Bulls driver said he was pleased to finish ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
After qualifying in Singapore, Lawson was disappointed with his ninth-place result. He felt that qualifying ahead of Gasly would have made for a better outcome. His frustration stemmed from the battle between Alpine and Racing Bulls for fifth place in the constructors’ championship, with a strong starting position particularly valuable at the Marina Bay circuit. With qualifying playing a crucial role in determining the race result, Lawson knew that his best opportunity to get ahead of the Alpine driver would come during the race. Gasly had qualified ahead of the New Zealander.
Despite his disappointment after qualifying, Lawson was satisfied with his race result. He felt his best chance was to overtake Gasly at the start, which he managed to do. Recalling the opening moments of the race, Lawson noted that starting on the soft tyres gave him excellent grip, allowing him to battle the McLarens during the opening laps. He was pleased with the car’s competitiveness throughout the weekend and delighted with the final result.
Asked by Vision F1, if he was satisfied with his result, particularly after finishing ahead of the Alpine, Liam Lawson replied:
“Yeah, much more satisfied. I mean, the target really was to get off them off the line, and we were able to do that.”
Watching the start in the media pen along with the onsite media, he reacted saying:
“So, I’m just going to watch the start now, because they’re showing it. Yeah. Just really attacked Turn 1, I don’t know if he went off. Yeah, that’s a reasonable one. Probably squeezed him over there. In the end, we started on the soft [tires], and I had so much grip that. I was attacking a McLaren, and I didn’t really want to be. I just wanted them to pull away, but the first part of the race, the first lap, everybody was sort of bunching up. So , yeah, car’s been very strong this week in all conditions, so very, very happy.”
Liam Lawson believes Racing Bulls fifth place is still not secure
Liam Lawson believes Racing Bulls’ fifth place in the constructors’ championship is not entirely secure. He feels Alpine have a much quicker car despite their lack of points finishes throughout the Asian triple-header. Racing Bulls have managed to score 10 points across the three races, but Lawson believes this is not enough to guarantee their position in the championship. The New Zealander also pointed out that Alpine have produced strong late-season performances in previous years. He recalled Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s double podium at the 2024 Brazilian GP, which helped Alpine finish sixth in the constructors’ championship.
Asked if the fifth place in the constructors championship was secure after the Singapore result, Liam Lawson replied:
“Not secure, no, but I think it’s, it’s definitely, we’re definitely in a better place. We’ve managed to extend over these last few weekends. And this weekend for us, it’s been a 10 point weekend. Did we score anymore? So, yeah, it’s been it’s been good. I don’t think they scored any of the races. So I’m not even sure if they scored in this triple header. No, they didn’t. So, and they’ve had a very, very fast car. So I think, yeah, if you’re very happy with the team, we’ve made all the right decisions ultimately through these last few weeks. But not secure. No, going through the rest of the year and a couple of years ago, I’ve been had a double podium in Brazil.”
Racing Bulls are fifth in the constructors’ championship with 100 points, while Alpine sit sixth with 68 points. The midfield battle can shift quickly, with an unexpected podium potentially making a significant difference, as Williams demonstrated in 2025. Carlos Sainz secured two third-place finishes in Azerbaijan and Qatar, along with a sprint podium in Austin, helping Williams finish fifth in the constructors’ championship. Racing Bulls currently hold a 32-point advantage over Alpine, with six rounds remaining on the calendar.
