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New Zealand driver Liam Lawson has explained the reasoning behind his decision not to set a flying lap in the final segment of qualifying for the United States Grand Prix.
The Racing Bulls driver secured a spot in the top 10 at the Circuit of the Americas alongside team-mate Arvid Lindblad. However, Lawson stepped out of his car right at the beginning of the final session, settling for tenth place in the standings.
With Lindblad facing a grid drop due to an engine change, the team determined that locking down the fifth row was the optimal outcome and decided it made more sense to preserve tyres for Sunday's Grand Prix.
"I really wanted to run in Q3," Lawson told the media. "We even made it through with two saved sets, which rarely happens for us. Under normal circumstances, if we were battling Alpine or Audi, having those two sets would have been a massive advantage. I was keen to give it a shot, but given Arvid's penalty, we were guaranteed to start ninth and tenth anyway. It simply made no sense to take unnecessary risks, and now we have plenty of tyres for the race."
Despite the tactical call, the Kiwi admitted it was tough for him as a racer to stay in the garage given his strong form throughout the weekend.
"To be honest, I told them I wanted to go out, but the team said no. As a driver, it's a bit frustrating, especially after showing such strong pace up to that point. The car felt great. We breezed through Q1 on just one set of tyres, though Q2 was a bit tighter. It would have been exciting to have a proper crack in Q3 on two fresh sets," Lawson added.
Lawson will line up ninth on the grid for Sunday's race, targeting crucial points to aid Racing Bulls in their battle for fifth place in the Constructors' Championship.
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