Liam Lawson’s run of consecutive points finishes in Formula One came to an end at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, where the New Zealander finished 12th. Starting ninth at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit—benefiting from grid penalties imposed on other drivers—Lawson was unable to maintain a top-10 position over the 44-lap race due to the relative lack of pace of his Racing Bulls car.

Lawson, who had reached as high as sixth place early in the race, struggled particularly on the straights. “Every single wheel-to-wheel combat I had, I lost down the straights,” he told his race engineer after the race. Drivers starting further back, such as Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and McLaren’s Lando Norris—who began 21st and 13th respectively—were able to climb into the points-paying positions.

The result also highlighted internal team dynamics at Racing Bulls, as the single car upgrade introduced for Belgium was allocated solely to Lawson’s teammate Arvid Lindblad. The team had decided the upgrade would go to the driver who qualified higher at Silverstone earlier in July, a contest Lindblad won. The upgrade advantage, combined with on-track events, contributed to tension between the two drivers. Lindblad forced Lawson off the track while overtaking on his way to a ninth-place finish.

Lawson remains 10th in the drivers’ championship with 39 points, trailing Alpine’s Pierre Gasly by three points. Gasly also failed to score at Spa. Lindblad’s ninth place earned two points, bringing Racing Bulls level with Alpine on 61 points in the constructors’ standings.

At the front of the field, championship leader Kimi Antonelli secured his sixth win of the 2024 season, ending a three-race winless stretch. Starting from pole position yesterday at Spa, Antonelli became the first driver since 2021 to win the Belgian Grand Prix from pole. His teammate George Russell, who was taken out in a first-lap incident, failed to finish, allowing Antonelli to extend his championship lead.

Antonelli now holds 201 points, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in second place, 45 points behind, followed by Russell, trailing by 50 points. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second at Spa, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completing the podium in third. Isack Hadjar’s recovery from the back of the grid to sixth was noted as an impressive highlight.

Lawson’s race began positively as he quickly passed Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and battled with his teammate, moving up to sixth by the end of the first lap under yellow flag conditions. However, as the race progressed, the lack of competitiveness in Lawson’s car became apparent. Lindblad overtook Lawson on lap eight, followed by Norris passing both Racing Bulls shortly thereafter.

Strategic pit stops around mid-race briefly shuffled positions, but a virtual safety car on lap 21 disrupted the running order. Lawson found himself engaged in a close battle with Gasly and Colapinto, ultimately losing further ground in the final stages. Defending against Alpine drivers in the closing laps, Lawson fell out of the points zone, finishing outside the top 10 for the first time since May.

Formula One action continues next week with the Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be the last race before the mid-season break.