answers after struggling to turn strong qualifying performances
into the same level of race pace. The New Zealander has regularly
helped underline the one-lap potential of the VCARB 03, with the
Faenza-based team often appearing among the stronger midfield
contenders on Saturdays. However, Lawson conceded that sustaining
that performance across a grand prix has proven more challenging,
particularly as Racing Bulls continues to fight directly with
Alpine in the constructors’ championship. “We have been in a good
place in qualifying, and seem to have a very good car, but trying
to replicate that in the race has been a little bit more difficult
for us,” Lawson told media, including RacingNews365 . Recent races
have highlighted the contrast Lawson pointed to. In Spain, he
qualified eighth, ahead of both Alpine drivers, with Franco
Colapinto in P13 and Pierre Gasly in P14, respectively. Yet on race
day, the latter was able to move forward and finish seventh, one
place ahead of Lawson, underlining the French team’s ability to
recover ground when points were on offer. A similar trend was
visible in Canada. Lawson qualified P12 and went on to finish
seventh, gaining five places, but Alpine still produced a strong
Sunday as Colapinto finished sixth and Gasly eighth. Those examples
have contributed to a wider pattern for Racing Bulls: the car has
shown the speed to be competitive over one lap, but converting that
into consistent race-day results remains the key challenge. Despite
the difficulty, Lawson does not believe Racing Bulls is facing a
fundamental problem with its car. Instead, he suggested the team
needs to keep refining the balance and execution required over a
full race distance. “It’s something we’re working through,” he
said. “In the race, it’s obviously a very different speed you’re
driving to qualifying, and I think it’s something we’re chasing,
trying to sort of affect our balance. “So, I’m sure it’s little
things, it’s nothing big. Obviously, the speed of the car is there,
so we definitely have a way of executing it; we just need to keep
focusing on trimming that race car and making it stronger.”