Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson has matched his season-best result at today's Canadian Grand Prix, charging from 12th on the grid to finish seventh in an eventful race won by championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Lawson made an early gain off the line, climbing up several places on the opening lap after starting on medium tires.
The Kiwi later switched to softs and held off a late charge from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who Lawson collided with during the last race in Miami, to secure seventh.
The result comes after a difficult weekend for Lawson, who was hampered by reliability issues that ruled him out of free practice and sprint qualifying, leaving him on the back foot heading into Monday's race.
Speaking to media afterwards, the Kiwi said he was happy to bring home points as he “didn’t really have that much speed” during the race.
"We definitely have to review it. But we survived and we bought the car home in seventh, which was great," he said.
"Towards the end of the race we were struggling a little bit more. It was a hard fight."
The 24-year-old was briefly investigated by stewards following the race under an alleged yellow-flag infringement.
Lawson's rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad failed to start the grand prix after his car was unable to go into correct gear on the grid.
The mechanical issue caused the grid to complete three formation laps, with Audi's Nico Hulkenburg stalling during the final lap. Lawson briefly moved ahead of Hulkenberg under the yellow flag conditions as the field attempted to reform.
Both drivers were investigated by stewards after the race, but officials ruled no further action was required as the pair had returned to their correct starting positions before the race began.
Lawson's seventh-place finish saw him earn six championship points and will keep him inside the top 10 of the World Drivers' Championship standings.
The thrilling race around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve featured six retirements, several battles for the lead and plenty of differing strategies.
At the front, Antonelli extended his lead in the world championship after an intense battle with teammate George Russell, securing his fourth consecutive grand prix win of the season.
The pair traded the lead several times during a fierce 30-lap duel and made contact before Russell’s race ended abruptly with a power unit failure. A frustrated Russell could be seen throwing his headset to the ground and yelling as he climbed from the car.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton scored his best Grand Prix finish for the team in second, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the podium in third.
Charlers Leclerc of Ferrari and Red Bull's Isaac Hadjar rounded out the top five.
It was a race to forget for McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, whose tire strategy backfired. Norris later retired, while Piastri finished outside the points.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including the terrifying moment a paraglider’s hit by a plane in mid air, and Peter Burling scores a win over Team New Zealand. (Source: 1News)
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