Liam Lawson May Start from Pit Lane as Monaco Weather Holds

Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car had a suspected power problem in Monaco weather, and he may have to start from the pit lane at the Monaco Grand Prix. Antonelli pipped Max Verstappen to pole position, leaving Verstappen second on the grid in his Red Bull.

Lawson told the Racing Bulls garage, “well done, everyone, I will do my best,” after his car was up and running. The problem pushed his Monaco weekend toward a pit lane start, a setback on a circuit where track position is hard to recover.

Racing Bulls and Monaco Weather

The Racing Bulls issue centered on Lawson’s car, which had problems in Monaco and was reported to have a power problem. If the pit-lane call stands, Lawson will begin away from the main grid while the front of the field is led by Antonelli, with Verstappen alongside him from second.

Verstappen tried to keep the focus on the race rather than the front row order. “Try not to overthink it too much, that works best. We will try to do the best start we can. It is a long race, anything can happen. It is not always easy and I hope today, we can have a normal start,” he said after qualifying second on the Monaco grid.

Mercedes, Ferrari, and Monaco pace

The Mercedes team were in the box seat after qualifying, while Ferrari’s pace through the slow corners was described as vital in Monaco. Lewis Hamilton appeared fresh and full of his previous self, a sign that Ferrari still had speed to draw on as the field prepared for the race.

Gabriel Bortoleto had been having problems in the Audi and stalled, but also looked good to go. Max Verstappen also said, “Everything is alright,” during the pit walk with Martin Brundle, a brief note that matched the calm tone around the front runners despite the shake-up behind them.

Antonelli on pole in Monaco

Antonelli’s pole puts him in the best starting position for the race, with Verstappen second and Lawson facing a likely fight from the pit lane if the Racing Bulls problem carries over. For Lawson, the immediate task is simpler: get the car through the issue and aim for any clean way back into the race from a compromised start.