Lawson gives up Q3 run to hand Lindblad higher United States GP grid slot

Racing Bulls play the long game in Austin Q3

Formula 1 qualifying usually throws up familiar strategic puzzles when a grid penalty is in play. A driver destined for the back often makes only a token effort in Q1, then sits out later segments or, as Gabriel Bortoleto did for Audi team mate Nico Hulkenberg in Austin, switches to providing a tow. But Saturday's United States Grand Prix qualifying produced an unusual twist on the theme.

At Racing Bulls, a driver who had genuinely earned a top-10 spot in Q2 and carried no penalty was kept inside the garage during Q3 — all to help his team mate, who did have a penalty.

Arvid Lindblad arrived in Austin with a five-place grid drop for taking a new internal combustion engine. The VCARB 03 had enough pace to head the midfield pack, and both Lindblad and Liam Lawson reached Q3. With the eight cars from the four top teams occupying the front rows and no Audis or Alpines in the mix, the Racing Bulls pair were always set to fill P9 and P10. To ensure Lindblad took the higher of those two positions — which converts to P14 once his penalty is applied — the call was made to keep Lawson in the garage, denying him a competitive run that cut against his instincts as a racer.

Lawson was classified P10 with no time set, but will start one place ahead once Lindblad drops down the order. "I would have loved to have a go at Q3," said the New Zealander. "We actually got there with two sets as well, which is not normal for us. In a normal situation, if we're fighting an Alpine or an Audi, having those two sets would have been great to use.

"I would have loved to have a go at it, but considering Arvid's got a penalty, we were going to be ninth and 10th anyway, it just doesn't really make sense. Now we have plenty of tyres for tomorrow."

Lawson admitted it was not easy to climb out of the cockpit and watch his team mate head out alone. "I asked to go out, to be honest," he added. "I said I want to go and do it, and they said no. So yeah, it's frustrating a little bit for a driver, especially because we've had a very strong weekend so far.

"The car's been very good. Q1 on one set, we were comfortably through. Q2 was a little bit more tricky to be honest. But going to Q3 with two sets of tyres would have would have been lots of fun."

Crucially for the battle for P5 in the Constructors' Championship, Lawson starts immediately ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly. "To be fair, it was very, very close with Pierre in Q2," he said. "But obviously we're one set less at that point. We were ready to go if we needed to in Q3 there. The car's been good in the long run as well. So hopefully tomorrow we can have a good race."

Lindblad, meanwhile, was pleased with how the session unfolded, even though he too was compromised — doing only one run in Q3 despite having a second set available. "I think it makes sense what we did," he said. "For sure, I would have loved to have another go. We both had an extra set left, and we were close I think to P8 in Q2, but realistically, the top teams always pull another gear when we get to Q3.

"So realistically, we would have both been in the same position we are now – maybe gone half a second or six-tenths quicker. But I was happy with Q2."

Asked whether there was frustration at not being able to start from the P9 he originally earned, Lindblad replied: "Yeah, I guess so. But at the same time I knew coming into the weekend I would take the penalty. I mean, it's a bit of a shame that it was only two races ago I was taking a penalty already, but it is what it is. That's just the nature of how things are with the new engines this year.

"But very happy with today. It's not been an easy week. I've been slower than Liam in every session so far – I think eight or nine-tenths slower than him in the first run of Q1. So to be ahead at the end of Q2 when it mattered, I'm obviously very happy with.

"But at the same time, looking ahead to tomorrow now because that's where the points are scored, I think on this track, overtaking is possible. So just being with a good pace will help us to come through."