Lawson points to tyre management after hot Friday at Sepang

Liam Lawson says tyre management will be key in qualifying after two top-ten finishes in Friday practice at Sepang.

GPBeat · Newsroom02 Oct 2026, 20:13 · 1 min

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson finished in the top ten in both Friday practice sessions at Sepang, where RacingNews365 reported a track temperature of around 62C during the second session and an air temperature of about 34C.

In comments carried by RacingNews365 on 2 October, Lawson said the heat was physically demanding. He expected the team’s training and preparation to help ahead of qualifying, where he said managing the tyres would be key. Team principal Alan Permane said both cars had performed well and that Racing Bulls had improved between the sessions. Set-up changes were made before FP2.

Tyre wear could matter on race day too. RacingNews365 raised the possibility of a three-stop race in dry conditions, while Lawson’s comments focused on the immediate challenge of qualifying.

Source context

RacingNews365’s 2 October report places practice at Sepang but labels the meeting the Bahrain GP.

Claims and supporting evidence 5

RacingNews365 reports that Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson considered tyre management key to qualifying and believed the team's preparation could help it cope with the heat. This is his assessment and expectation, not an established race outcome.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Lawson's attributed assessment after Friday practice at Sepang Friday practice ahead of the event described in the article, October 2026 Lawson's words are available through this one read article, not a separately supplied original statement.

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RacingNews365 reports that Lawson finished inside the top ten in both practice sessions. It reports an FP2 track temperature of around 62 degrees Celsius and air temperature of around 34 degrees Celsius.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Reported Friday practice performance and conditions at Sepang Friday practice, October 2026 These are figures and results reported by the sole read outlet; the supplied page does not give Lawson's exact positions or an independently checked timing or temperature record.

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RacingNews365 attributes to Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane satisfaction with both cars' performance and improvement between Friday's sessions. It says he found the track smoother than the team expected and that set-up changes were made before FP2.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Racing Bulls' reported Friday set-up response Between the two Friday practice sessions, October 2026 No independently supplied team statement or technical comparison establishes the size of the reported improvement.

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The article raises a potential three-stop race under dry conditions; it does not establish that teams will adopt three stops.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Conditional race-strategy expectation in the article Pre-race reporting, October 2026 The page gives no named source or calculation for this expectation.

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The article identifies Sepang as hosting an event it calls the Bahrain GP. That unusual event designation is not independently confirmed by the supplied material.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Event identification within the sole supplied page Event described for October 2026 The page itself also displays a Bahrain flag beside the Bahrain GP in its calendar. These page elements do not resolve the event's official name or location.

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Corrections and updates to this story

02 Oct 2026, 20:22

Correction: wording in body was amended following source verification. Corresponding translated passages were updated and checked; the remaining text is unchanged.

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.