Liam Lawson may be getting another chance to prove his skills and talent to Red Bull this season. Daniel Ricciardo is set to not return to take back his seat until the end of October. That being said, Lawson gets another race to showcase himself, if not for Red Bull then for some other team. So far, Ricciardo has taken the seat on the sidelines because of his hand injury. The Australian crashed into the wall to save Piastri from a horrible accident at Zandvoort.
However, it caused him to have a horrible wrist injury. He was replaced with Liam Lawson who took up the races for AlphaTauri and brought the team the best result of P9. But it seems he will have another go at Qatar. AlphaTauri trackside head said, “The recovery is going well, from our side and his side, there’s no rush to get him back too early. The worst thing would be to come back before it is properly healed and cause any issues.”
🚨 | Daniel Ricciardo may not return to the Formula 1 grid before the United States Grand Prix in late October
AlphaTauri head of trackside engineering Jonathan Eddolls said Ricciardo’s comeback is still “a while away, so we wouldn’t want to put a target on it”.
“The recovery… pic.twitter.com/SxW2ZOc8CT
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) September 22, 2023
He confirmed that Ricciardo may not be returning to the sport at least until the end of October. However, he will be finishing his simulation sessions by the Qatar Grand Prix to see how comfortable he is with the car. Nonetheless, this gives Liam Lawson a great opportunity to hold onto his last moments in Formula 1. However, Lawson seems to be lacking a little on the options with AlphaTauri extending Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo for 2024.
Liam Lawson could have a chance at the one seat in Williams
Liam Lawson may be a little too late to change Red Bull’s mind. Right before the Japanese Grand Prix, AlphaTauri confirmed that both Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be staying for 2024. This means all the plans of joining AlphaTauri are out of the question for Lawson. Nonetheless, he might still have a chance at taking a seat at Formula 1. Bernie Collins, an engineer in Formula 1 says she believes Lawson is not completely out of the game.
BREAKING: Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will race for @AlphaTauriF1 in 2024!#F1 pic.twitter.com/HVUGyZO0Qy
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 23, 2023
With the 2023 season coming to an end, all teams have started confirming their drivers for the next season. Even Mercedes and their long talks with Lewis Hamilton have come to an end. However, one spot is still open to be taken. Logan Sargeant of Williams seems to have his contract still being in the talks or maybe not at all. With many crashes caused by the American, he may be seeing the exit soon.
However, this can be a good sign for Lawson. The Kiwi has proven greatly that he has something valuable to give. Collins also confirmed that his performance has been a “great interview” for the teams. And with only one open spot remaining, Lawson needs to bring out his full potential.