Liam Lawson had an impressive debut season in Formula 1, replacing Daniel Ricciardo. However, Red Bull decided to choose Yuki Tsunoda instead of him, despite Lawson’s solid performances.
Last year was challenging for AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s sister team. They struggled to find a consistent pair of drivers. They started the year with Nyck de Vries replacing a driver who went to Alpine. Pierre Gasly, who had been with Red Bull for a long time, decided to leave and join Alpine. In his place, they hired former Formula 2 and Formula E champion de Vries. However, de Vries failed to meet expectations.
De Vries’s disappointing results led to a change in the driver lineup. Ricciardo got injured and had to be replaced once again. This presented an opportunity for Liam Lawson, Red Bull’s reserve driver, to showcase his talent in Formula 1.
During his time at AlphaTauri, Lawson delivered impressive performances as Ricciardo’s substitute. He particularly stood out at the Singapore GP, where he scored 2 points by finishing in ninth place. However, Red Bull chose not to hire Lawson for their sister team. Lawson expressed his disappointment with this decision in an episode of ‘Drive to Survive’.
Before joining Formula 1 as Red Bull’s reserve driver, Lawson had success in FIA F2 and also competed in the Japanese Super Formula series. A documentary called ‘Liam Lawson: Behind the Scenes’ was made to showcase his experiences in different forms of motorsport.
Lawson credited his time in Super Formula for improving his skills and preparing him for his eventual entry into Formula 1.
In other news, Lawson received the news that he would not be taking Yuki Tsunoda’s place at AlphaTauri, despite outperforming him in Singapore. Christian Horner delivered this devastating news to the 21-year-old, and it was captured in an episode of ‘Drive to Survive.
