Lawson’s race was shaped by Racing Bulls’ all-in push to secure sixth in the constructors’ standings, a target the team ultimately achieved by three points.
The New Zealander spent much of the afternoon tied up in defence against Aston Martin, collected a five-second penalty for moving too late against Lance Stroll, and was left reflecting on a largely uneventful final outing.
“Yeah just a tough race. We didn’t really have the speed and we also didn’t have a very good strategy,” Lawson said.
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“[We were] just I think more focussed on just trying to optimise P6 in the constructors and trying to keep the Astons behind. So we spent the first part of the race with Stroll.
“And in the end we weren’t fast enough anyway. So a tough race. Yeah, that’s it, honestly.”
That early fight with Stroll ultimately saw him hit with the same erratic-driving penalty handed to both Oliver Bearman and Stroll for separate incidents later in the race.
Asked about his own penalty, Lawson conceded he likely triggered the sanction.
“I was defending him. To be fair, I moved quite late, so it was probably my bad,” he admitted.
“It wasn’t intentional. But yeah, I guess that’s why I got the penalty. It was a pretty boring afternoon.”
The lack of midfield pace left him powerless to stay in the mix, despite briefly enjoying a scrap with new world champion Lando Norris as the McLaren cut through the order.
“I mean it was for position,” Lawson told Speedcafe when asked about the Norris battle.
“Obviously I was on pretty cooked tyres, so it wasn’t worth trying to stay there late in the corner.
“But yeah. At that point we were still having a decent race and then very quickly after that our race fell apart.”
But while his own result offered little to celebrate, securing sixth in the championship – equalling the best finish in the team’s history – delivered major satisfaction.
“Yeah, no, it’s a great result for the team. It’s what what we set out to do in the last part of this year. So very, very happy,” he said.
Team principal Alan Permane praised the collective effort that carried Racing Bulls to the milestone.
“Today brings an end to a long season, but a really really great season for Racing Bulls. Sixth place in the championship is amazing; we’ve only ever reached P6 once before, so it’s a huge achievement,” Permane said.
“There have been ups and downs all the way through and it really went down to the wire with Aston Martin but I’m incredibly happy.”
For Lawson, the finish also closes out a deeply challenging year that began with the psychological blow of being dropped by Red Bull two races into the season.
He admitted it remains something he needs time to process as he prepares for his full-time return with Racing Bulls in 2026.
“It feels so long ago to be honest. I don’t even remember that much of it,” he said.
“It was a very shit time, honestly. It’s something I’ll reflect on I’m sure, but I just haven’t done it yet.
“It’s been such a busy season and I think it’s something I’ll learn from for sure.
“But I think most importantly, obviously, surviving this year and having another opportunity next year was the main target.”
Lawson ends the season 14th in the standings on 38 points — the highest total by a New Zealander in 50 years and the third-largest tally ever scored by a Kiwi in Formula 1.
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