Lawson baffled by Lindblad clash after Azerbaijan Grand Prix collision

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Racing Bulls team mates Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad discussed the collision that ended both their chances of a stronger result during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After both drivers recovered from being eliminated in Q2, they briefly found themselves in position for a double-points finish following a Safety Car pit stop for fresh tyres.

Coming to the restart, Lindblad took the inside line at Turn 1 and tagged the rear of Lawson’s car. Lawson was sent into the run-off area, dropped down the order and ultimately finished P12 when he returned to the team. Lawson said he needed to review what happened, adding, “I need to watch it… I just got smoked from my left. It put a hole in my floor as well,” and he added that he could not see what gap Lindblad was aiming for as “we were all coming into Turn 1 on the restart.”

Lindblad, meanwhile, believed there was little alternative in the run into Turn 1 on a restart where, in his view, the field was not well bunched. He placed responsibility on the overall situation heading into the corner, saying the entry was “an absolute mess,” and accepted that while he apologised immediately to Lawson and the team, there “could’ve been two of us up there today.”

Despite the damage from the contact, Lindblad continued and finished P7, passing Haas’ Esteban Ocon over the line by just 0.030s. The result underlined a crucial midfield haul for Racing Bulls in their battle against Alpine, particularly after Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto retired in Baku following an internal collision involving them.

Lawson agreed the day’s outcome was heavily influenced by misfortune, stating, “We got very lucky today,” even as he said Lindblad and the team will focus on improvement heading into the next round.