In a session stretched to two hours and interrupted by a record six red flags, Lawson calmly managed treacherous wind and rain to secure third, behind Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.
“Honestly it felt like hours. I needed to pee since like lap two of quali, so that’s never nice,” Lawson admitted.
“It’s obviously very good quali for us today. It’s just surviving, honestly, the first two sessions. Maximizing every lap on track.”
The Racing Bulls driver, who returned to the Faenza-based team earlier this year after being demoted from Red Bull, explained that keeping focus amid changing conditions was crucial.
“The hardest thing is when it starts raining and you see it on your visor and the gloss starting on the track. Everything’s telling you there’s going to be less grip, but then it’s not,” he said.
“I didn’t maximize the first lap in Q3 and Carlos did. On the last lap I just ignored all of it and carried on, and it worked.”
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Lawson’s P3 is the highest starting position for a New Zealander in F1 since Chris Amon at the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix and only the sixth top-three start in the team’s 40-year history, as well as their first since Yuki Tsunoda’s P3 at last year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
It also continued an upturn in form for Lawson, who initially struggled against rookie teammate Isack Hadjar after being demoted to Racing Bulls following the Chinese Grand Prix.
Since scoring his first points of the season in Monaco, Lawson has finished in the points three more times and now sits 15th in the championship on 20 points, eight ahead of Tsunoda who replaced him at Red Bull.
“The car’s been good all weekend. Massive thanks to the guys and girls. The team’s been amazing this weekend so far, but obviously tomorrow is the important day,” Lawson said, looking ahead to Sunday’s race.
He admitted the podium would be a challenge but remained confident in his approach.
“We’d love to fight for the podium,” he added. “The car’s been very, very good recently.
“But we know there’s very quick guys coming from behind us. It’s going to be a tough race.
“If it’s anything like today with these conditions, then anything’s possible.”
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix begins at 3pm local time on Sunday (11pm AEST).
Verstappen takes wild Baku pole, Lawson stuns with P3 as Piastri crashes
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