Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has revealed he was effectively driving 'blind' during qualifying for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix after his car sustained significant damage. The incident occurred during the session at the Suzuka Circuit.
Lawson explained that the damage, which was later confirmed by the team to be a broken front wing endplate, severely compromised his vision and the car's aerodynamic performance. He stated the detached part was flapping and obscuring his view for the remainder of his qualifying run.
Despite the issue, the New Zealander managed to qualify in 14th position for the race. He was ultimately eliminated in Q2, finishing 0.386 seconds behind his teammate Arvid Lindblad, who progressed to the final qualifying segment.
The Racing Bulls team worked to repair the car ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix. Lawson will start from the seventh row, aiming to recover positions in the race.
