Singapore GP 2025: Liam Lawson’s Crashes and Failed Gamble

There’s something about the Singapore Grand Prix that can make even a promising weekend unravel fast. Liam Lawson arrived in Marina Bay with momentum, but left with two practice crashes, a strategy that never paid off, and a 15th-place finish that felt like a missed opportunity.

Driver: Liam Lawson · Team: Racing Bulls · 2025 Singapore GP Finish: 15th · Career Best Qualifying: 10th (2023 Singapore GP) · Nationality: New Zealander · Age (as of 2025): 23

The key details about Lawson’s weekend and career at a glance.

What happened to Lawson in Singapore?

Lawson’s FP3 crash

• In Free Practice 3, Lawson lost the car over a kerb and hit the barrier at Turn 7, triggering red flags about 15 minutes into the session (Formula 1).

It was the second time in two days the Racing Bulls driver visited the barriers — and the second time his session ended early.

Previous FP2 incident

• On Friday, Lawson hit the wall at the exit of Turn 17, ripping off his front tyre and ending FP2 early (1News).
• He had been showing promising pace before the crash, running near the top of the timing board (1News).

Lawson later explained: “I got too much curb at Turn 16 and was bounced across before taking too much curb at Turn 17” (1News).

Race day strategy

• Lawson ran a long first stint on Medium tyres, climbing into the top 10 midway through the race, hoping a Safety Car would help his strategy (Formula 1 teams’ report).
• The Safety Car never came. After pitting, he fell behind a train of cars and lost the track-position advantage (Formula 1).

Where did Liam Lawson finish in the Singapore Grand Prix?

Final classification 15th

• Lawson finished 15th, one lap down (Motorsport Week).

The result matched his grid position — he started 15th after qualifying.

Strategy overview

• The team attempted a long first stint undercut, betting on a Safety Car that never materialised (Formula 1).
• After his pit stop, Lawson got stuck behind slower cars and couldn’t recover.

Lawson himself acknowledged: “If we started a bit further up, we could have maybe ended up in the points” (Formula 1).

Comparison to teammate

• Lawson’s Racing Bulls teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished 11th, ahead of Lawson but also outside the points (Motorsport Week).

The pattern: neither Racing Bulls driver scored, but Tsunoda avoided the crashes and kept a cleaner weekend.

Are Liam Lawson and Hannah St. John still together?

Current relationship status

• Yes, as of 2025, Lawson is in a relationship with Hannah St. John, as indicated by her social media posts and media coverage (public sources).

Hannah’s Instagram post from the GP

• Hannah posted a photo wearing a dress at the Singapore Grand Prix, confirming her presence at the event.

Past relationships

• Hannah previously dated Jon, but that relationship ended (per online reports).

The implication: Lawson’s personal life is stable despite a tough weekend on track — a small bright spot in an otherwise frustrating trip to Singapore.

Why is Verstappen being banned?

• Max Verstappen was not banned from the Singapore Grand Prix. He accumulated penalty points but not enough for a race ban (Sky Sports F1).
• Reports ahead of the weekend suggested he could face a ban if he reached 12 points, but he remained under the threshold.

Red Bull said he would not change his approach despite the penalty controversy (Sky Sports).

The catch: the question itself may be based on confusion with earlier driver penalty point threats — a rumour that never materialised.

Why did Liam Lawson leave Red Bull?

Move to Racing Bulls

• Lawson left the senior Red Bull team but remains in the Red Bull family, driving for Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri) (Wikipedia).

Red Bull’s driver program

• He was promoted to a full-time F1 seat with Racing Bulls for the 2025 season after impressing as a substitute in 2023 and 2024.

Lawson’s F1 opportunities

• Staying within the Red Bull ecosystem keeps him in contention for a future promotion to the senior team.

What this means: Lawson didn’t leave Red Bull; he moved sideways within the same system, with an eye on the top seat.

Quotes from the paddock

“We stayed out most of the race on a set of Mediums and unfortunately ended up behind a train of cars after we boxed.”

Liam Lawson, to Formula 1

“He got too much curb at Turn 16 and was bounced across before taking too much curb at Turn 17, and that sent him into the wall.”

1News reporting on Lawson’s FP2 crash (1News)

“Max won’t change his approach despite the penalty controversy.”

Sky Sports, on Verstappen’s mentality (Sky Sports F1)

Summary: Liam Lawson’s Singapore Grand Prix weekend was a study in contrast — raw pace in practice undone by costly errors and a strategy that hinged on an assumption that never came true. For the 23-year-old Kiwi, the implication is clear: learn from the mistakes, forget the missed opportunity, and make the next one count. For Racing Bulls, the data shows they have a fast driver who needs cleaner weekends. The next stop is Austin, and the reset button is already pressed.

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His struggles in Singapore echoed a difficult weekend at Interlagos earlier that season, detailed in Liam Lawsons Brazilian GP, where a sprint crash also derailed his race.

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