Lawson promoted after late penalty as Kiwi equals Racing Bulls record

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Author: Alex Powell,
Publish Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2026, 10:50am

He might not have been able to hold on for a podium finish, but another load of points for Liam Lawson, after taking seventh in the Brazilian Grand Prix, is still plenty to be happy with.

Lawson had crossed the line eighth, but was promoted one position after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was hit with a five-second time penalty for making contact with the Racing Bulls in the dying laps.

While Lawson had performed excellently on Sunday to earn a second-row start, being quick over a single lap is very different to doing the same over 71.

On a drying track in a wet-to-dry-to-wet race, the Kiwi’s Racing Bulls was picked off one-by-one by the faster cars, as the reality of driving for a team outside of the sport’s biggest players told.

Lawson sat as high as second in the early stages, but the rain forecast didn’t fall in the way the Kiwi needed if he was to become the first New Zealander to stand on a Formula One podium since Denny Hulme in 1974.

Regardless, seventh saw Lawson record his 15th points finish of the campaign, and drew level with Pierre Gasly – now with Alpine – for the most in a single season by a Racing Bulls driver.

“It was a good start,” said Lawson post-race. “Once the pace stabilises, we don’t really have the pace to fight.

“I’m honestly just trying to enjoy driving at the moment. The car is in a great place.

“The fact we’re fighting Ferraris, McLarens and Mercedes at different points of the race today is obviously cool.”

The six points Lawson gained take his season tally to 89, and lifts the Kiwi 47 clear of Gasly in the battle for ninth in the drivers championship, to lay claim to the title of “best of the rest” as the fastest driver outside of the top four teams.

And at a time when his future is still far from certain at Racing Bulls, another points finish will do Lawson’s chances no harm.

At the front of the field, McLaren’s Lando Norris converted pole position to his third race win of the year, one week after losing his world championship to Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Norris had lost the lead early to his successor, only for Antonelli to spin at turn two after fitting slick tyres.

Liam Lawson leads McLaren's Lando Norris at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Photo / AFP

Max Verstappen was easily the driver of the day as he went from 21st to second, while Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar completed the podium in third as Antonelli settled for fifth behind teammate George Russell, as Mercedes added the constructors title to the drivers championship for good measure.

Formula One will return later this month for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which could turn out to be the final race of the season – with no guarantees over racing in Qatar or Abu Dhabi due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Starting in a career-best equalling third, Lawson held his position off the line, before getting around Norris into turn two to sit second, and dream of a podium place with only Antonelli ahead of him.

Sandwiched between the past and present world champions, Lawson quickly came under attack from Norris, and was forced to defend into turn one on lap six, as the McLaren closed the gap to less than half a second.

Once the track began to dry, though, the reality of fighting at the front in a Racing Bulls car began to hit home.

As Lawson struggled with his rear tyres, Norris took second back at turn 11, before the Kiwi lost two more places to Hadjar and Russell into turn one of laps seven and eight respectively.

Sitting fifth, Lawson lost out to Verstappen on lap 11, and came under threat from the McLaren of Oscar Piastri immediately afterwards.

By lap 15, as cars started to change their intermediate tyres for slicks. Lawson followed suit two laps later – and picked up two places when Russell spun at the pit exit to put himself out of contention, as Piastri got stuck behind him.

For the second time in the race, Piastri’s pace advantage told on lap 24, to see the Australian win the transtasman clash into turn one, as the Kiwi had to be content with an 11-second gap to Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg in seventh.

Liam Lawson at the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. Photo / AFP

Hulkenberg managed to hold Russell behind him for as long as possible, before the Audi lost the all-German battle on lap 30 to give the Mercedes a 12-second gap to Lawson in the fight for sixth.

Sitting in a temporary no man’s land – too slow to catch the car ahead while waiting for Russell to catch him – Lawson had only the blue-flagged backmarkers for company, before the Mercedes retook sixth on lap 46.

Three laps later, Lawson pitted for the second time and emerged in eighth between the two Ferraris. The Kiwi made short work of Leclerc – who admittedly was running a set of tyres close to 40 laps old – on lap 48, as light rain began to fall.

With less than 10 laps to go, Lawson headed for the pits again to return to the intermediate tyres, and emerged in eighth, but made up a place when Ferrari didn’t pit Lewis Hamilton – who spun at turn 15 as a result.

And while Lawson lost out to Leclerc on the final lap, despite the Ferrari making contact with the Racing Bulls, another points finish was the perfect statement for the Kiwi as he looks to secure his future on the grid.