Lawson reacts to Sainz penalty: 'I’ve been on the receiving end'

Lawson: “That’s how the rules are written”

One of the biggest headlines from the Dutch GP was Isack Hadjar claiming his first F1 podium.

The Frenchman kept his nose clean to capitalise on a brilliant qualifying and earn silverware for the first time.

For the other Racing Bulls driver, things were not so positive.

Lawson was also in contention for points, but his collision with Sainz relegated him to the back of the field.

At a circuit where the VCARB 02 was very competitive, missing out on points is a tough blow for the Kiwi.

Thankfully for Lawson, unlike Sainz, he was not penalised for the contact.

Speaking to the media post-race, Lawson explained his view on how penalties are awarded.

The VCARB driver was sympathetic to Sainz’s complaints, but emphasised those are the existing rules of conduct:

“It just sucks, it sucks for both of us.

“It’s obviously not my intention. But it’s lap one of a restart and we have very low grip going into Turn 1.

“The rules are written as they are, and we all know how they’re written.

“As much as we maybe don’t agree with it, I’ve been on the receiving end of it as well this year – and I disagree with it as well.

“But that’s how they are [the rules] and for it to be his corner, he has to be ahead at the apex.

“It wasn’t anywhere near today, so that’s why he got a penalty for it, I’m guessing.”

Pressure on Lawson to deliver

Generally speaking, last weekend had a few outcomes that Lawson will be unhappy with.

The most obvious is his final result, 12th, which means he left the 15th round of 2025 empty-handed.

Perhaps more importantly, there was significant development concerning the Red Bull driver stable.

Hadjar was obviously a big winner in Zandvoort, securing a podium and cementing himself as a prospect for the future.

It should be noted that Zandvoort was the first time (excluding DNFs) that Lawson finished behind Hadjar since the Spanish GP.

Unfortunately for Lawson, Hadjar’s superior points tally and younger age have increased his market value.

The 20-year-old also hasn’t been tainted by an unsuccessful Red Bull spell, something the Austrian team will always consider when assessing Lawson’s future.

At Red Bull, Tsunoda claimed his first points since Imola in P9.

More importantly, however, the Japanese driver’s pace was strong on race day – with misfortune preventing him from a potential top 5 finish.

With this in mind, it is imperative that Lawson finishes the year strongly.

He still has a chance to keep his seat in F1, especially given his past experience with Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies.

At the same time, if he cannot convincingly outperform Hadjar over the coming rounds, Lawson will be in a precarious position.

If Tsunoda begins to string together solid results at Red Bull, the Kiwi’s challenge becomes even greater.

Because of this, a recovery this weekend in Monza is essential.

Luckily, the Racing Bulls have fought for points at virtually every race this year – meaning Lawson will have more chances to strengthen his position.