Lawson to start ninth in Belgium after grid penalties for rivals

By Aroha Ngata — 19 July 2026 — 3 min read

Lawson’s Qualifying Performance

Liam Lawson, the Racing Bulls driver, is set to begin the Belgian Grand Prix from ninth position. This improved grid slot comes after penalties were applied to other competitors. Lawson had initially qualified 11th, missing the third stage of qualifying by a narrow margin of 0.038 seconds. However, power unit-related grid penalties for Red Bull’s Isaac Hadjar and McLaren’s Lando Norris elevated the New Zealander two places.

Lawson acknowledged the team’s performance, stating, “We’ve been a bit slow all weekend. We put together the best car we had. It felt quite good, just too slow.” He also expressed his determination for the upcoming race, adding, “Tomorrow is going to be a hard race, but I’ll do my best.” This start follows a period of strong form for Lawson, who has secured points in all but two races this season and holds 10th place in the World Drivers’ Standings.

His teammate, Arvid Lindblad, outqualified Lawson and will start the race from seventh. Lindblad received an upgraded cooling system for his VCARB 03, a decision made by the team. The Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled for Monday morning.

Team Strategy and Upgrades

Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane discussed the decision-making process behind allocating car upgrades for the Belgian Grand Prix. Permane explained that providing upgrades for both cars was not feasible due to time constraints, particularly after the British Grand Prix. The new components, including an updated sidepod, roll hoop, brake drum for improved airflow, and a rear wing for increased downforce, were exclusively fitted to Lindblad’s car.

Permane clarified that the upgrade involved a chassis modification, specifically shrinking the roll hoop, which could not be completed on both cars between Silverstone and Spa. He detailed a meeting with both drivers in Austria, where he presented the challenge. The team principal initially suggested not upgrading any cars for Spa and then upgrading both for Budapest, but this was not seriously considered.

Instead, a more unconventional method was chosen: “We can flip a coin, or make it a little bit of fun and say whoever qualifies in front in Silverstone gets the upgrade, and they both signed up for that and that’s what we did.” Permane also indicated that if a similar situation arises later in the season, Lawson would be prioritised for future upgrades. He confirmed, “He’ll automatically get it next time. We tried to put a bit of fun into it rather than just allocating it to someone.”

Antonelli Secures Pole Position

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, outpacing Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds. The 19-year-old Italian’s performance came despite a coordinated effort by Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar to provide a slipstream. Hadjar assisted Verstappen through the high-speed Blanchimont corners before moving aside at the last moment.

Antonelli dedicated his pole position to his father, Marco, a sportscar racer who celebrated his 62nd birthday on Saturday. Verstappen, who will start second, acknowledged Hadjar’s help, stating it made the difference between starting second and sixth. However, he expressed doubts about his car’s ability to match Antonelli’s Mercedes in race conditions, noting a three-tenths gap even with a significant tow.

Lando Norris, who qualified third-fastest, will drop 10 places due to a grid penalty. Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, is expected to move up to third on the grid, though he has consistently struggled to match Antonelli’s pace. Russell remarked that trying to keep up with Antonelli felt like “battling with one had behind your back.” Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth and sixth respectively, following Leclerc’s recent win at the British Grand Prix.

The Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on Monday morning.

Source: 1news.co.nz