Formula 1: Liam Lawson overlooked for Racing Bulls upgrade, teammate Arvid Lindblad rewarded

Liam Lawson will have to wait to make use of a new car upgrade, as Racing Bulls gave teammate Arvid Lindblad the first chance to make use of an update to the team’s VCARB03.

As the 11 Formula One teams arrived at Spa-Francorchamps for this weekend’s race, Racing Bulls have developed and introduced a new cooling system.

However, given the nature of research and development in Formula One, only one is available for the team to use – with Lindblad getting the nod over Lawson.

Potentially wiping out any advantage, Belgium’s climate has rarely made cooling cars an issue, with rain more of a threat than overheating.

But, given Lawson’s superior results so far, Lindblad being afforded an upgrade first is curious.

After nine races, the Kiwi sits 10th in the championship with 39 points – more than he scored in the entirety of 2025 – and leads Lindblad, 19 points back in 11th.

Any suggestion of favouritism also comes after Lindblad appeared to ignore team orders in Austria, where he was instructed not to attack Lawson coming out of the pits, but did so anyway. Lawson got his own back on that occasion, and finished ninth to Lindblad’s 10th.

Then, at Silverstone earlier this month, Lindblad was called into the pits before Lawson, despite being Racing Bulls’ trailing car on track.

Regardless, both Racing Bulls cars have proven their worth to start 2026. Red Bull’s sister side have all the momentum in their hunt to finish fifth in the constructors championship, and trail Alpine by just one point, with two races to go before the summer break.

“It’s been very good, the car’s been working very well,” Lawson said. “The progression has been the most satisfying part.

“Every upgrade we’re bringing or each area we’re focusing on, we’re managing to execute and find those gains we’re searching for.

“It’s been really good. Obviously, it’s motorsport …sometimes stuff is going to happen that’s out of your control.

“But right now, everything that’s in my control, I’m trying to focus on. It’s been bringing results – which has been great.”

Belgium, though, could present arguably the biggest challenge of the year for all 22 drivers.

Given the nature of the circuit, in tandem with Formula One’s new regulations for 2026, cars will have minimal chances to recharge their batteries over the course of a lap, with Spa containing few braking zones long enough to give any real opportunity to do so.

However, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone was a similar layout to Spa, and saw both Racing Bulls drivers finish in the points for the fifth race in succession.

That feat gives Lawson hope of more of the same over the coming days, on a track where he finished eighth last year after a crucial overtake of then-teammate Isack Hadjar.

“Let’s see,” Lawson said. “It’s a track that should be reasonably similar to Silverstone. It was a good track for us.

“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be strong. We have new parts on the car – more on Arvid’s side – let’s see what they do for us.”

Practice for the Belgian Grand Prix begins at 11.30pm on Friday night (NZT).

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.