Liam Lawson has aired 'concern' that Racing Bulls could be overhauled by Alpine despite their 'best of the rest' showing in Austria.
After missing FP1 for Ayumu Iwasa, Lawson has been 'best of the rest' behind the top four teams in every session, and even placed fourth in Q1 ahead of George Russell and Max Verstappen.
Eventually, he took ninth on the grid for the race, ahead of team-mate Arvid Lindblad in 10th, as Racing Bulls cemented itself as the fifth-best team.
However, despite accomplishing this mission, Lawson felt that the team had to keep an eye on Alpine - its closest rivals over recent races, with the Enstone concern in qualifying, with Pierre Gasly 11th and Franco Colapinto only 16th.
"It is honestly good to have both cars in Q3 and ahead of the midfield," Lawson told media, including RacingNews365.
"It is pretty much what we set out to do, and the guys in front are definitely a little bit further ahead, so we're happy with qualifying, but I am sure it is going to be a hard race."
Reflecting on the potential challenge, after Alpine managed to turn around qualifying into a better race result than Racing Bulls last time out in Barcelona, Lawson admitted his concern.
"We're definitely concerned," he said.
"They've been very strong in the races, and we've obviously put some effort in from last week to try and improve.
"I am sure it is going to be a tough race, and we will see what we get."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Nick Golding and Samuel Coop as they look ahead to this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix! The discuss if Lewis Hamilton can continue his fine form after entering the title fight and the importance of Red Bull having a strong event at home.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!