Liam Lawson Scores Points After Lucky Safety Car at Suzuka
New Zealand's Liam Lawson finally caught a break when a safety car at the Japanese Grand Prix helped him jump three positions without a single overtake. The Racing Bulls driver held off challenges for 25 laps to earn two championship points and break his streak of bad timing.
After more than a year of safety cars arriving at the worst possible moments, Liam Lawson finally got the luck he deserved at Suzuka.
The 24-year-old Kiwi driver started the Japanese Grand Prix in 14th place, wrestling with a Racing Bull that felt completely off balance. He radioed his team early in the race: "I have a horrible balance right now."
Despite the struggles, Lawson pushed forward and climbed to ninth place by lap 22. Then Oliver Bearman crashed at 300kph, bringing out a safety car that would change everything.
In Formula 1, timing is everything. A pit stop under safety car conditions saves about 10 seconds compared to a regular stop. Lawson hadn't pitted yet, making him one of the lucky winners when the yellow flags flew.
When he came out of the pits, Lawson had leapfrogged three competitors without making a single pass. He jumped ahead of Esteban Ocon, teammate Arvid Lindblad, and Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, landing in ninth position.
The safety car split fortunes across the grid. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli inherited the lead and went on to win, while his teammate George Russell fell backwards after pitting just one lap too early.
The Bright Side
For Lawson, this moment felt overdue. Safety cars had worked against him at last year's Spanish and Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, plus the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. His team had often left him out long hoping for yellow flags that never came, including at Suzuka just 12 months earlier.
His former engineer said it best after last year's disappointment: "It can't rain forever."
The final 25 laps tested Lawson's determination. His car's balance still wasn't right after a rushed front wing change in qualifying, but he defended his position fiercely. First Gabriel Bortoleto pressured him, then Ocon made constant challenges.
Lawson held them all off. He crossed the line in ninth place, earning two championship points that lifted his season total to 10 and moved him into tenth in the standings.
Sometimes racing isn't just about speed or skill, it's about being in the right place when fortune finally decides to smile your way.
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Based on reporting by Stuff NZ
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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