New Zealand driver Liam Lawson has a chance to earn his first World Championship points for Red Bull after qualifying eighth for Formula One’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Lawson was promoted to the top team following the announcement that Isack Hadjar had suffered a wrist injury and would be unable to race this weekend.
It marked Lawson’s return to the team for the first time since his brief stint at the start of the 2025 championship where he lasted just two rounds before being demoted to Racing Bulls where he has been since.
The 24-year-old sits ninth in the drivers’ championship.
Lawson, who finished 11th in Saturday’s sprint race, said he was overall happy with his qualifying race.
“It was an improvement from yesterday just putting everything together and to get to that point in qualifying is good. I mean overall obviously we probably wanted more from the car but obviously my only reference at the moment is Max [Verstappen] and just been trying to get closer through the weekend.”
What will success look like for Lawson in the final race?
“At least staying where we are, that would be really really good but trying to move forward as well if the opportunity is there. Obviously I’m still learning this car and the race today was quite tricky but I’ve got a bit of data to review to try and help that.”
Red Bull team-mate and four-times world champion Max Verstappen qualified seventh for the Grand Prix.
Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad will start 10th on the grid and temporary team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, the reserve taking the seat vacated by Lawson, 12th.
Formula One champion Lando Norris put McLaren on pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes pair George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
The pole was the third in a row for McLaren at the seaside Zandvoort circuit and a back-to-back one for Norris following Hungary before the August break.
The driver on pole position has always won the Dutch round ever since it returned to the calendar in 2021 following a 34-year absence.