In a dramatic twist ahead of the 2024 United States Grand Prix, rising star Liam Lawson finds himself facing an uphill battle before the race even begins, thanks to a heavy grid penalty. The Red Bull junior driver, making his season debut at Circuit of the Americas, has been dealt a significant blow due to exceeding the allowable power unit components in his car, a consequence of taking over Daniel Ricciardo’s machinery.
Lawson, who stepped into Ricciardo’s seat after the Aussie’s midseason departure, is paying the price for Red Bull’s decision to fit a completely new power unit into his car. The overhaul means Lawson has blown past the component limits in all six areas of his engine – including the internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, energy store, and control electronics. With each of these violations incurring a 10-place grid penalty, Lawson will be starting from the back of the grid in Sunday’s race.
F1’s strict regulations state that any driver exceeding a 15-place penalty must begin behind all other classified cars, and Lawson’s punishment easily surpasses that threshold.
Although this weekend’s Grand Prix at Austin is a Sprint event, Lawson’s penalty only applies to the main race, sparing him from immediate setbacks in the shorter Sprint. However, the impact will be felt heavily on Sunday as Lawson is forced to navigate his way through the field.
Despite the looming setback, Lawson clocked a respectable time during Friday’s practice session, finishing 13th – just 0.1 seconds behind teammate Yuki Tsunoda. But with the steep grid penalty in place, the New Zealander faces a daunting challenge in the Lone Star State. Can he turn his fortune around in the Sprint and charge through the field on race day? All eyes will be on Lawson as he looks to salvage his weekend amid Red Bull’s power unit disaster.
The stage is set for a weekend of high stakes and intense racing at the Circuit of the Americas!
