Liam Lawson revealed that he irritated Helmut Marko on the day of Daniel Ricciardo’s significant accident at the Dutch GP. Lawson, a Red Bull academy driver, made his unexpected debut in 2023 to replace an injured individual at AlphaTauri (now RB). He participated in 5 races last season and impressed the paddock with his performance. However, Lawson has now revealed that he put Red Bull’s Motorsport Advisor, Marko, in a negative mood before being called up to replace Ricciardo.
Lawson recounted his conversation with Marko before the incident on Friday at the Dutch GP. The 22-year-old had a big crash in the Super Formula at Montegi. However, Lawson emphasized that he was having a successful season as Red Bull’s reserve driver. Consequently, Lawson expressed his intention to convince Marko to give him a full-time seat for 2024.
The 22-year-old mentioned that he persistently requested a seat for 2024 from Marko for about 20 minutes. Lawson believed that this conversation slightly annoyed the octogenarian. However, just an hour later, Daniel Ricciardo hurt his wrist in an accident during free practice.
After Ricciardo’s accident, Liam Lawson was considered the first choice to replace the Australian driver, as he was the team’s reserve driver. However, there were rumors that Red Bull could consider other options, including the recently dismissed individual. Therefore, Lawson had to ensure that both Marko and the then team principal recognized his confidence.
The New Zealand driver encountered the two influential figures in the paddock shortly after the incident. Lawson stated that Helmut Marko simply looked at him and asked if he was ready. Without hesitation, the 22-year-old promptly responded with a yes, as he was eager to seize the opportunity to race at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Liam Lawson demonstrated his talent in F1. Unfortunately, the New Zealand driver was unable to secure a full-time seat for 2024. However, it is clear that Red Bull intends to promote Lawson to a seat in F1 in the near future, possibly as soon as next season. Although the 22-year-old has stated that he would consider joining a rival team if the opportunity arose. Therefore, it remains to be seen how things will unfold for Lawson in the coming months.
