Engine change for Lawson; Starts at the back in Monza

Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson is set to start from the back of the Italian Grand Prix grid due to his Red Bull RB22 being fitted with new power unit components.

The FIA confirmed that his car has taken on several new parts, including a sixth internal combustion engine, turbocharger and exhaust set, as well as its fourth MGU-K and seventh PU-ANC.

However, in qualifying at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Lawson set the 14th fastest time in Q2 after being hindered by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

“To be honest, we should really have the speed to get through (to Q3) anyway,” commented Lawson. “We had quite good speed yesterday, and then today, we’ve lost some performance.

**Fourteenth placed qualifier Liam Lawsonis interviewed during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy – Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan**

Oscar Piastri set third fastest time in Q3 then was handed a three-place grid penalty for the Italian Grand Prix after the stewards found him guilty of impeding Liam Lawson in Qualifying. The Stewards made the following statement:

“On leaving the pits, the driver of Car 81 (Piastri) was advised that ‘Verstappen, Lawson and Sainz just crossing, Sainz has pitted, just Verstappen and Lawson, watch out for them as you join’.

“The driver of Car 81 stated that he was not alerted to the fact that VER and LAW were on push laps, but realised as he was almost at Turn 1 that VER was on a push lap. He slowed significantly and kept to the right to allow VER to pass, but was unable to do anything to avoid impeding LAW who was close behind.

“The stewards accept that with the information he had, and the situation he was placed in, the driver of Car 81 had, at this stage, no other options available and hence, inadvertently, and also unnecessarily, impeded Car 30.”

While this may have impacted on Lawson moving through to Q3, his engine change will see him join Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Williams’ Alex Albon in starting from the back of the grid.

“In general, the goal was to obviously try and help Max in Q3 and I never got there, so it’s not what we planned for, but I think our Qualifying was a bit compromised anyway,” said Lawson.

“It was a difficult day in general, but I was always going to start last, so for my race it doesn’t really make a difference. Hopefully we can make up some good places tomorrow.”