Liam Lawson was a revelation this year, but several factors meant he wasn’t awarded a 2024 contract. However, his F1 hopes are very much alive.
Few drivers have made their F1 debuts in more difficult circumstances than Liam Lawson. After Daniel Ricciardo sustained an injury during Zandvoort Practice, the 22-year-old was called upon as a last-minute replacement.
Not only was Lawson’s preparation virtually non-existent, but wet conditions affected qualifying and the race in The Netherlands. Under these circumstances, even the most experienced drivers would be susceptible to mistakes – let alone a debutant.
Despite the rain, the Kiwi demonstrated immense composure – avoiding any mistakes and bringing the car home. In subsequent race weekends, Lawson went from strength to strength.
His best weekend was in Singapore, where Liam Lawson shocked the F1 world by outqualifying both Red Bull drivers. At the time, it seemed a no-brainer to give the rising talent a full-time seat.
Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, AlphaTauri instead opted to retain Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo for the 2024 season. However, it is widely speculated that Red Bull will put the Kiwi driver in a full-time seat by 2025.
This expectation was partly created by Franz Tost, who made these comments earlier this year:
“Liam did a fantastic job with us because we must not forget the circumstances when he, for the first time, drove in Zandvoort for us.
“He wasn’t prepared for this. He just had to jump into the car.
“It was raining, he had to use full wet tyres… and he did everything without any mistake…
“He deserves a seat in Formula 1, and I expect him, at least in 2025, to be in F1.”
Oscar Piastri’s departure from Alpine to McLaren should serve as a warning to Red Bull. If they do not give Lawson an opportunity, then surely a rival will.
It seems unlikely, however, that Red Bull will allow Lawson’s talent to be wasted. The very selective wording of AlphaTauri’s 2024 driver line-up announcement is very telling in this regard.
The Italian outfit’s social media post stated that “Yuki, Daniel and Liam will continue with the team into next year.”
remaining consistent in 2024 👊 we’re very happy to announce that Yuki, Daniel and Liam will continue with the team into next year 🙌 pic.twitter.com/qZ2NarlZIS
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) September 23, 2023
Quite clearly, the team is aware of his potential – alongside his growing popularity and credibility among the fans. In almost traditional fashion, AlphaTauri could become a key player in F1’s next edition of “silly season.”
