After returning to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2023, Daniel Ricciardo has been fighting to make his way back up to the top.
Despite having a seat on the team that became VCARB this season, Ricciardo’s goal has been to make his return to Red Bull Racing. He originally left the team after 2018 to race for Renault (now Alpine) for two years before going to McLaren for an additional two. In his second year with McLaren, it was announced that he would not be continuing with the team, leaving him without a seat for the 2023 season.
Daniel Ricciardo makes the difficult decision to leave Red Bull Racing after 2018. Courtesy of Sky Sports.
After AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries was dismissed halfway through the 2023 season, Ricciardo filled his seat. Just two races later, Ricciardo suffered seven bone fractures in his left hand and wrist during the Dutch Grand Prix. Throughout his recovery, AlphaTauri brought up reserve driver Liam Lawson to race in his place.
Usually, the performance of a reserve driver isn’t a major spotlight point during the race(s) they drive in, but Lawson made a big impact. Not only did Lawson jump in the car during the middle of the season, but he immediately began bringing the fight to everyone he came across on track.
The race that cemented his name in the minds of F1 fans everywhere was the Singapore Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and Red Bull were dominating in a way no other season had seen, and Verstappen was expected to take pole. Despite it being his first full-fledged night race, Lawson turned a lot of heads the night of qualifying. Lawson not only out-qualified his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who was knocked out in Q2, but he qualified P10, knocking out Verstappen as well.
Liam Lawson putting in a late fast lap to squeeze into Q3. Courtesy of Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool.
Beating out the championship leader during qualifying as a rookie turned a lot of heads, and everyone watched on expectedly during the race the following day. Scoring an important two points, Lawson finished P9 in the Singapore Grand Prix, only one place behind Red Bull driver Sergio Perez in one of the most demanding races on the calendar.
Despite his impressive performances across the five grands prix he raced in, Lawson was not offered a seat for the 2024 season. Since Ricciardo returned at the United States Grand Prix last year, Lawson has been back on the sidelines. Putting in work behind the scenes, he’s been waiting for an opportunity to arise.
Directly following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, it was announced that Ricciardo would be leaving VCARB effective immediately. The team then announced that Lawson would be stepping up from his reserve role to race alongside teammate Tsunoda for the remainder of the season.
Lawson said that the main emotion felt following the news was relief, but it may be short-lived. Coming into the season with only six races left while other competitors have had the majority of the season is daunting. Not only does he have to compete with drivers who have adjusted to these cars all season, but Lawson has to do so at tracks he hasn’t driven at as well.
Liam Lawson and VCARB team principal Laurent Mekies at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool.
While fans are sad to see a long-time racer like Ricciardo leave the grid, many are excited to see what Lawson will accomplish during the rest of this season. Depending on his performance and how he measures against Tsunoda, a contract for 2025 may be in the cards. The upcoming United States Grand Prix is right around the corner, and all eyes will be on VCARB’s newest driver.
Edited by Breanna Ebisch
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