Liam Lawson has rued damage he sustained in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, with the Racing Bulls driver insisting "it really hurt" his race result.
The Racing Bulls driver was eliminated in Q2 and started from 12th on the grid. Despite starting outside the top 10, Lawson managed to make progress during the grand prix.
He crossed the finish line in ninth to score two crucial points for Racing Bulls, especially as Isack Hadjar retired late on whilst having occupied ninth himself.
It has kept the Red Bull sister team in control of sixth in the constructors' standings; however, Lawson believes more was possible without sustaining damage in qualifying.
"It was a decent race," Lawson told select media including RacingNews365. "It's a shame we picked up a bit of damage in Q2. I think it really hurt us and put us out of position today.
"And so to recover and get points is strong. Obviously, should have been two points with Isack. So it's obviously very unfortunate. I don't know what happened, but yeah."
Ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend, an announcement is expected to be made by Red Bull confirming the driver pairing of its two teams for 2026.
When asked in Qatar if he had been informed about his future, Lawson noted that "unfortunately" he had yet to be told about if he will be handed a seat for next season.
However, RacingNews365 understands Lawson will remain with Racing Bulls next season, partnering current F2 driver Arvid Lindblad – Hadjar is set to replace Yuki Tsunoda in Red Bull.
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