Lawson qualifies 11th for Dutch GP Sprint after Red Bull return

Liam Lawson delivered a strong performance in his unexpected return to the Red Bull senior team, securing eighth place on the grid for the Dutch Grand Prix after a challenging start to the weekend at Zandvoort. The New Zealander was called up on Monday to replace the injured Isack Hadjar and had only one practice session to adapt to the RB22 before Sprint Qualifying, where he initially missed out on a spot in the top ten.

Despite the limited preparation, Lawson showed impressive pace during Friday's running, at times matching teammate Max Verstappen. He advanced through the first segment of Sprint Qualifying in sixth place, even outpacing the four-time world champion. However, he was unable to match the performance gains made by rivals in the second segment and ultimately qualified 11th for the Sprint race. Lawson expressed frustration after the session, stating he felt the car had the potential to reach the final shootout.

"It's been very challenging to try and build up in a short space of time," Lawson told media. "But obviously the target was to keep improving for the weekend, and I think by quali I think that was a good job from everybody to help me get comfortable in the...