Racing Bulls Aim for Q3 in Las Vegas Despite Slippery Track conditions, FIA Disputes F1 2026 Pace Concerns
LAS VEGAS, NV – November 21, 2025 – Racing Bulls driver liam Lawson expressed cautious optimism following FP2 at teh Las Vegas Grand Prix, despite a sixth-place finish that he believes doesn’t fully reflect the team’s potential. The team is targeting a place in Q3 for Saturday’s qualifying session, but faces a challenge with perhaps worsening track grip and the possibility of rain.
Lawson reported tough conditions during FP2 due to light rain on an already slippery asphalt surface. “It was crazy. you couldn’t see the water, but you could feel it,” he said. “It’s supposed to stay dry tomorrow – if not, it’ll be really hard.” He also noted concerns about grip levels, recalling that last year’s race featured surprisingly low grip. Teammate Yusef hadjar echoed the Q3 ambition, stating, “It certainly won’t be easy, but that is our goal.” Lawson added, “I’m afraid we’re not as good as we currently look based on the rankings. But we’re in a better position than we were at the start of the day and that’s the most vital thing.”
The article also addresses a recent dispute between Hadjar and the FIA regarding the projected performance of the 2026 Formula 1 cars. Hadjar criticized the new regulations, claiming the cars would be closer in pace to Formula 2 vehicles. FIA Single Seater boss Nikolas Tombazis refuted this claim, stating, ”Wholly wrong,” and clarifying that the 2026 cars are expected to be approximately one to two seconds slower than the current F1 cars. “We are far away from these comments that it is not Formula 1-like.”
