Liam Lawson hopeful of continued Racing Bulls progress: 'It's very close'

Liam Lawson confirmed that he is targeting a Q3 appearance in qualifying for the British Grand Prix but is wary the timesheets on the opening day were "very close". 

The Racing Bulls driver made a strong start at Silverstone and ended second practice 10th on the timesheets, just a position and one-tenth adrift of Isack Hadjar. 

Lawson has been building in confidence over recent races, whilst his staggering sixth-place finish in Austria marked a significant step in the right direction. 

Assessing his Friday performance, the New Zealander was pleased but recognised that the midfield was very tight.

"It was, alright, it's a good start," said Lawson. "It's very close, like last weekend. So yeah, we have to keep chasing it, as everybody is, but it's a good starting place and a good place to start from tomorrow."

Just five-tenths of a second split Hadjar in ninth and Yuki Tsunoda in 15th, despite Silverstone being one the fifth longest circuit on the calendar. 

When asked if changes were made between first and second practice, Lawson confirmed: "Little changes. It's always good when you're making little changes, just sort of fine tuning. 

"It's hard because the wind right now is really gusty, and it's completely throwing off the balance. So it's extremely fast. It's my first time proper time driving here in a Formula 1 car, and it's pretty exciting."

The hope for Lawson is that Q3 is reachable on Saturday, something which should be the case based on the timesheets. 

Again, though, the 23-year-old stressed how tight the field was on the opening day of on track action.

"I think so," said Lawson, answering if Q3 is possible. "But it's, as I said, it's very close, so it's very hard to tell at this point. 

"But if we have another good session, then yes, but it's very easy to lose a session as well. And yeah, we'll see how we go in FP3."