Liam Lawson secured his joint-best result of the 2024 Formula 1 season with a hard-fought seventh-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, successfully defending against intense late-race pressure from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. The RB driver started outside the top 10 but methodically climbed through the field as the Montreal race progressed, ultimately matching his previous season-high finish.
The closing stages proved particularly challenging for Lawson as Gasly mounted a sustained attack while the New Zealander nursed aging soft compound tires to the checkered flag. Both drivers had pitted on the same lap, but Gasly emerged on the harder tire compound and appeared to have a significant pace advantage in the final laps. Despite the mounting pressure, Lawson managed to hold his position and bring home valuable championship points for his team.
“He [Gasly] was definitely giving me a hard time in the race,” Lawson told media including RacingNews365. “He was a lot quicker than us at that point, honestly. The Alpines had really good race pace. It’s something we could look at, maybe tire strategy as well, maybe the hard tire would have worked better.”
The result provided some consolation for RB after teammate Arvid Lindblad encountered a technical problem during the formation lap, leaving Lawson as the team’s sole representative in the race. When asked about carrying the team’s hopes alone, Lawson acknowledged the added responsibility while expressing satisfaction with the points haul. “It’s a shame what happened, I don’t know what happened to Arvid completely yet. But at least to bring home points, obviously, it’s good,” he concluded.