Liam Lawson took the place of the newly signed AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo after his accident at the Dutch Grand Prix in order to fill the empty seat. But he quickly gained the respect of fellow drivers as well as fans as he displayed his brilliant skills behind the wheel. Despite having not been utilized by AlphaTauri for the entirety of the 2024 season, his performance in the 11th position in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday was nothing short of fantastic.
As he ended the race on the Suzuka track, it is safe to say that the team was impressed by the young rookie. When his engineer complimented his pace during the initial bits of the race, Lawson said, “I know mate. I had so much caffeine before the race it fucking lit me up!” The 21-year-old managed to hold off his teammate Yuki Tsunoda at his home race. Despite his short term in Formula 1, he managed to let spectators question whether or not, he is a better option for the team.
Just outside points today coming home P11.. Thank you @AlphaTauriF1 for all the hard work over the weekend 🇯🇵🙌🏽@redbull | @RodinCars | Giltrap Group | @Cumulo9 | Tony Quinn Foundation | Turners Cars | Porter Group CE pic.twitter.com/qpLbWhAu7N
— Liam Lawson (@LiamLawson30) September 24, 2023
Nevertheless, Tsunoda had a hard time in the race as he got within 0.5 seconds of Lawson in the final 10 laps, but the latter kept his composure, resisted Yuki’s efforts, and finished the race precisely where he had begun. The young Kiwi was consistent with his past contests and was exceptional at the tough Singapore Grand Prix where he earned points for AlphaTauri.
Red Bull leaves Liam Lawson out of F1 seat for 2024 despite promising debut
For the 2024 season, the AlphaTauri team has officially revealed their driver lineup. Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo are going to continue to drive for the team, much to the pleasure of the fans. The statement was made right before the Japanese Grand Prix, which is extremely significant to the Japanese driver. With this announcement, Williams becomes the only team without a confirmed spot for the upcoming season.
🗣️ | 🇯🇵 Christian Horner on Liam Lawson’s performance and future in F1
“I think there’s only one seat available in Formula 1 at the moment and that seems to be the Williams seat, and it’d be unlikely they take a driver for one year.”
“So he’s going to focus on that test and… pic.twitter.com/NO8ppM5LP2
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) September 25, 2023
The fact that Tsunoda’s journey with AlphaTauri will continue for a fourth season serves as proof of his skill set and commitment. On the other hand, the Australian driver has plans for a full season on the track as he aspires to accomplish his goal of securing a permanent seat in the Red Bull team. As he is expected to return sometime soon, it will be interesting to witness whether or not Ricciardo can catch up with the rest of the grid.
Regardless of Liam Lawson’s stellar performance, the fate was not in his favor. When the next season starts off, he will no longer be driving the AlphaTauri car. Lawson will continue to serve as Red Bull’s backup driver, the role he held before he got into F1. However, the teams will not let go of young talent such as himself and fans might be able to see him on the grid next year.
