It's not everyday that you get called in, last minute, to race a Formula One car. But for New Zealand racer - Liam Lawson; that's exactly what happened at last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, after Alpha Tauri's regular driver; Daniel Ricciardo, broke his hand during Free Practice 2, resulting him in sitting out that particular race weekend and those in the near future. So, it was down to Alpha Tauri's reserve driver; Lawson, to pick up where Ricciardo left off. And, on a weekend that was plagued by difficult weather conditions and very little dry running, it's fair to say that Lawson held his own and impressed many on debut.
Lawson, a native of New Zealand, made his single seater debut in 2015, racing in the Formula First Manfeild Winter Series and the New Zealand Formula First Championship. Since then he has climbed his way up through the motorsport field, making an impact on several championships such as ADAC Formula 4, Toyota Racing Series, DTM, Formula 2 and most recently, Super Formula; where he currently sits 2nd in the championship. Due to his consistent performances, Lawson claimed himself a seat with the Red Bull Junior Team in 2019, which eventually led to his appointment as the Reserve/Test driver for Red Bull Racing and Alpha Tauri in Formula One during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. And, low and behold, half way through the 2023 season, Lawson finds himself in the "hot seat," ready to prove he has what it takes.
Getting thrown into F1 halfway through the season can't be an easy feat, with Lawson himself once stating that jumping in mid-season would be "extremely tough." And, things didn't get off to the best of starts either. A spin for the Rookie in the closing stages of Free Practice 3 would bring out the Red Flag and end the session early. He would, later on, qualify in 20th for the Grand Prix the following day. But, for a driver in Lawson's position, these things are expected to happen as he gets to grip with the machine he has underneath him. Plus, interchangeable conditions, something he would again experience the following day, hindered his progress in qualifying higher on the grid.
As for the next day, a chaotic and challenging race was waiting for the Kiwi ahead of his big race debut. But despite a ten second penalty, more interchangeable conditions, safety cars and a red flag, the youngest driver on the grid got his car to the end in one piece, finishing 13th, ahead of his teammate; Yuki Tsunoda, as he came across the line. Many people, including Red Bull Team Principle; Christian Horner, were impressed with what Lawson achieved. He said:
“I mean, the poor guy getting dropped in a car he's never driven, wet, dry conditions, everything being thrown at him, I actually think he did pretty well. (...) To finish a race like that in itself with the lack of experience that he has, I thought in very difficult circumstances he applied himself very well.” - Christian Horner
And, that's exactly why Lawson has impressed so many over the course of one race. In the words of Alpha Tauri Team Principle; Franz Tost:
"He did a good job because it was really difficult.” - Franz Tost
However, despite the praise coming from fans and F1 personnel alike, Lawson, although satisfied with his performance, definitely sees room for improvements.
“You always look back and I’ll reflect on this and there’s definitely things I would have liked to do better." - Liam Lawson
And, next time out in Monza, he'll get the chance to do it all again with Ricciardo still on the sidelines. Of course, it's too early to judge the amount of potential Lawson has when racing an F1 car, with plenty of development yet to come, but if this race and his junior career is anything to go by, the other Red Bull drivers in Formula One need to be wary. Although, as mentioned above, it may be early, but Lawson may definitely be a contender for a full time F1 seat in 2024.
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