Liam Lawson in 'fight for survival' after uncomfortable Baku toilet problem

Liam Lawson has explained the unusual problem he faced during F1's nearly two-hour-long qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - needing the toilet.

In a Baku qualifying which featured a record-breaking six red flags, Q3 was not completed until nearly 1800 local time, with the session getting underway at 1600 local. 

Lawson capitalised on both Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri crashing out in Q3 to sit second on the grid with only Carlos Sainz, himself, and Isack Hadjar having set a lap-time with just 3:41 left on the clock after the Piastri crash. 

Sainz and Lawson were then overhauled by Max Verstappen who roared to pole, but Lawson took third on the grid - eclipsing his previous career-best of sixth in Austria earlier this season.

It is the best result for a New Zealander in qualifying since Chris Amon was third on the 1976 Swedish GP grid, as Lawson chases a first career podium finish. 

Reflecting, the Racing Bulls driver explained how he was in discomfort after being caught a little short.

"Honestly, it felt like hours, it was like two hours, and I needed to pee since lap two of quali, so that's never nice, but it was great for us," Lawson told Sky Sports F1. 

"Today was just about surviving the first two sessions, maximising every lap and we learnt from Monza in trying to be a bit risky and getting caught out. 

"We fuelled for the whole session, and just did every single lap possible.

"The hardest thing is when it starts raining and you notice and see it on your visor, you can see the gloss starting to form on the track, but you still have tyre temperature.

"So you are fighting your brain to not brake early and lift because everything is telling you there is going to be less grip, but then it is not, and I didn't maximise the first lap in Q3 and Carlos did. 

"He had a great lap, and it was raining a little bit on the last lap, but I just ignored all of it and carried on, pretending it wasn't, and it worked."