Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson both expressed their frustration after a tough qualifying session for the 2025 Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The two Racing Bulls drivers will start the race from 12th and 15th positions respectively after falling short of expectations during the decisive sessions on Saturday afternoon.
Silverstone qualifying: Racing Bulls miss Q3 despite strong practice pace
After a series of promising free practice sessions where the team consistently placed both cars in the top ten, the Racing Bulls squad had high hopes of reaching Q3 in qualifying at Silverstone. Overnight adjustments made to the car further enhanced performance, adding to the optimism within the Faenza-based team.
However, the actual outcome in qualifying was a major letdown. Liam Lawson was eliminated in Q1, while Isack Hadjar failed to progress beyond Q2, leaving the team outside the top ten on the grid for Sunday’s race. Given that rival Yuki Tsunoda looked closer to the front and Williams appeared to have strong race pace, scoring points will now be a significant challenge for Racing Bulls.
Isack Hadjar’s reaction after Q2 elimination
Speaking after qualifying, French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar shared his disappointment: “It was a frustrating qualifying session. We had a really strong car all weekend, and we actually started the qualifying well. But then, I felt like I had reached the limit of the car quite early on, while other teams seemed to keep finding more pace.”
Hadjar continued: “I felt like I was already pushing the limit and couldn’t extract any more lap time from the car. We struggled a bit in terms of one-lap performance, and I think the race pace might also be challenging. That said, it’s going to be a long race, and we’ll do everything we can to fight for points.”
Liam Lawson: “Wasting a good car is frustrating”
New Zealander Liam Lawson also had a tough time in qualifying, failing to get out of Q1. “To be out in Q1 is really frustrating, especially because we’ve had a quick car throughout the entire weekend,” he said.
Lawson explained that the temperature drop caught the team off guard: “Unfortunately, the drop in track temperature prevented us from bringing the tyres into the ideal operating window. I didn’t have grip at the start of the lap, and it didn’t improve after that. It’s a real shame to throw away a qualifying session like this.”
“These tyres are extremely sensitive, but that’s nothing new—we should’ve managed the warm-up phase better,” Lawson admitted. “Starting from where we are now, we’ll have to consider a different strategy. Anything can happen, especially here at Silverstone where the weather is unpredictable. Our goal remains to break into the top ten, but it’s going to be a tough race.”
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