The New Zealand driver only completed five laps in the only practice session and missed sprint qualifying. "It's frustrating," he admitted.
Liam Lawson's Friday at the Canadian Grand Prix was one to forget, the New Zealander Racing Bulls driver suffered a hydraulic leak in the first minutes of the only free practice session, he barely completed five laps, his car stopped on track and the team could not repair it in time for sprint qualifying.
"It's frustrating, obviously tomorrow is more important, but this doesn't help for tomorrow either. It's a shame, the car seemed very good, the pace was very good, I felt good in the first laps this morning," Lawson declared at the end of a day in which he could barely run.
Racing Bulls focused its efforts on repairing the car for the sprint race on Saturday, Lawson was left out of qualifying, in which his teammate Arvid Lindblad achieved a meritorious ninth place. The 24 year old New Zealander trusts he can match the performance of his young teammate, but knows the road will be uphill.
"On a sprint weekend it's already difficult to get track time. FP1 is really important to run, because it's the only practice we have, the rest of the time we are in competition and performance mode. That makes it really difficult on a weekend like this," he explained.
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit, with its walls glued to the asphalt and its treacherous chicanes, is not a track that forgives a lack of running. Lawson, who has already raced in Montreal in the past, trusts that previous experience will help him, but the circumstances are adverse.
"This circuit is quite difficult, a bit unique. Luckily I've been here before, but it's going to be tough, for sure. I'm going to have to play catch up tomorrow, the way you drive in the sprint is different from qualifying. Qualifying will be the biggest step I have to take and I'll do what I can to prepare for that," he stated.
Lawson had to watch sprint qualifying from the garage while his rivals fought for position on the grid, he watched as his teammate Lindblad managed to sneak into the top 10. The New Zealander hopes luck will change on Saturday.
"There are many positive things, at least we have good speed. We just have to hope to have a good day tomorrow, try to learn what we can in the sprint and then put it all together in qualifying," he concluded.
The sprint race will take place on Saturday at 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT). It will be 19 laps of the Canadian track, for Lawson, it will be the only opportunity to run before qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix. A major challenge for a driver who, for now, will have to play catch up.
