Liam Lawson tackles ‘revenge’ theory after outqualifying Max Verstappen

Liam Lawson knocked back the suggestion of “revenge” after outqualifying Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Lawson finds himself ahead of former team-mate Verstappen on the Austrian Grand Prix grid, Lawson P6 in the Racing Bulls to Verstappen’s P7 in the Red Bull, but despite Lawson’s harrowing experience as a Red Bull driver at the start of F1 2025, a feeling of “revenge” never manifested for him.

No Liam Lawson ‘revenge’ on Max Verstappen

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

After Sergio Perez departed Red Bull following the 2024 season, Red Bull looked within and called-up Lawson from Racing Bulls as his replacement, but having performed well off the pace of Verstappen, Lawson was sent back to the junior team and Yuki Tsunoda promoted from Round 3.

Tsunoda has not done much better, scoring just seven points as a Red Bull driver while Verstappen challenges the McLarens in pursuit of a fifth straight Drivers’ Championship, though Verstappen’s hopes took a potential blow in Austrian GP qualifying.

Caught up in yellow flags triggered by a spin for former Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly at the final turn, Verstappen was forced to abort his final Q3 attempt, leaving him P7 on the grid, while Lawson put his Racing Bulls car an impressive P6.

But the idea of feeling like he had got one up on Verstappen was firmly knocked back by Lawson.

“It’s not revenge, no,” said Lawson, a little taken aback, when speaking to the media, including PlanetF1.com, after qualifying. “I haven’t really raced him at all, so…

“It’s a good position obviously, we maximised today, but I obviously don’t expect to be racing tomorrow with some of the guys around us.

“But some of the guys behind, for sure we’re going to be trying to keep that.

“It doesn’t feel bad, obviously it’s a cool feeling. It’s just for me, more proud of the team for a lot of hard work recently especially, and a lot of work around my side, to make me more comfortable in the car and help things suit me.

“And I think today reflected that.”

Latest F1 2025 head-to-head standings from PlanetF1.com

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Verstappen was praised by his Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner for spotting the yellow flags ahead for Gasly’s spin and lifting off, Verstappen just one penalty point away from a race ban, with some breathing room on its way as two points will drop off after Austria, reducing his tally from 11 to nine.

“He could see the yellow, so of course, he’s done the right thing,” Horner told Sky F1 on Verstappen. “He’s reacted to the flag. It takes precedent to the dash.

“It was a great shame. On the predicted time at that corner, he would have done a time that might have squeezed him on the front row. Certainly would have been third.”