P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Liam Lawson set to narrowly miss out on ultimate New Zealand F1 record
Liam Lawson had a challenging start to his first full F1 season, being demoted from Red Bull after just two races, and he might narrowly miss breaking an ultimate New Zealand record. Currently, Lawson has accumulated 30 points in the ongoing season, but he is on track to fall short of the highest points scored by a New Zealander in a single season. The current record is held by Denny Hulme from 1967, when he claimed 51 points, making Lawson 21 points behind with four grands prix and two Sprints remaining. Across the 24 races completed so far, including the Sprints, Lawson has been averaging 1.25 points per race. If we extend this average to a full 24-race calendar, including six Sprints, Lawson is projected to finish the season with 37.5 points, intensifying the competition to secure his seat for the 2026 season and beyond. Despite the admirable performance, Lawson’s potential points would fall short of Hulme’s 1972 score of 39 points, surpassing the tallies of other successful New Zealand drivers like Chris Amon (23 in 1970) and Bruce McLaren (34 in 1960). When considering the modern points system, Hulme’s title-winning campaign in 1967 would have garnered him 161 points, with two victories, three second places, three third places, and a fourth place securing his championship triumph.
