Lawson is aiming for points for his return at the end of the season with VCARB

Lawson’s return: a promise kept by Red Bull

Liam Lawson is making his return to Formula 1 starting from the USA Grand Prix and for the remainder of the 2024 season. The New Zealand driver, who impressed in the five races he took part in last year, now faces a crucial opportunity to secure his future in the sport.

In an interview with F1 Nation, Lawson revealed that this opportunity had been in the works for some time: « The idea of me taking the wheel is something that Christian [Horner] told me a year ago. At the end of my placement, it was one of the things he told me: “I give you my word, I will put you in a race seat at some point next year”. So I knew it was the goal and that it had been discussed. »

However, the exact timing of his return remained uncertain throughout the year. In fact, it was conditional on the performances of other Red Bull drivers. Comparing this wait in Formula 1 to a rollercoaster, Lawson admits that it was a somewhat unpleasant experience. “It’s a bit terrible, to be honest,” reveals the young driver. “You’re there wondering about your chances of getting behind the wheel, and it all depends entirely on the performance of the drivers currently in the race… You don’t want another’s downfall to be your way in. But for me to drive, someone obviously has to give up their spot.”

Score points for VCRB

The decision to replace Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix was finalized at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It was actually in Baku where Christian finally told me I was going to take the wheel, remembers Lawson. However, this opportunity comes with specific expectations from the Red Bull management. According to him, they expect me to be at least as performing as Yuki [Tsunoda], that’s the team’s goal, I would say. They want me to be at his level and to perform.

The sister team of Red Bull is engaged in a three-way battle in the constructors’ championship with Haas and Williams. They want points, the team is fighting for sixth place among the constructors, and this is very important for VCARB, he revealed. With this goal of scoring points in sight, Lawson considers that he would have provided satisfactory work to his team if he succeeds in this mission: The objective is to score points. If we score points, then we would have practically done a good job.

The pressure that could be generated by this challenge does not destabilize the young pilot, he reassures that this fact is not unfamiliar to him: “It’s been like that since I was 16, when I joined Red Bull. It has always been based on performance. We are always under evaluation, so it’s not really different from what it has always been.”

Lawson’s return to F1 comes after an unusual year without competition. This year will have been the most singular, the strangest year […] I knew I was not going to drive the car, but that’s what we wanted to do, the dream was to drive the car, especially Formula 1. I knew that being a reserve without a racing program, I would spend less time behind the wheel. That was my only concern.

To prepare for his return to the track, Lawson recently took part in the Pirelli tire tests at Mugello. Even though he describes this day as not the most fun for a race car driver, he acknowledges that it was still beneficial for him. “We wanted to do short runs, qualifying laps, almost empty tank, we didn’t do any of that,” he said, adding, “It was very long runs all day with a full tank and no DRS and only consecutive laps. But it was probably the best thing for me because in the end we did 116 laps, mainly focused on doing long runs and getting back into the groove behind the wheel.”

Lawson says he is ready to take on the challenge with enthusiasm.

Lawson expresses his impatience for the upcoming races, indicating that he has nothing particular to fear. Regarding the United States Grand Prix, he stated: “I am really excited for Austin, it is a race I love to participate in even as a substitute. The atmosphere in America is very cool, especially in Austin. So yes, I am excited for Austin, the track layout looks really great, it changes every year because the surface is built on some sort of marsh. The type of surface practically changes every year and now we have resurfacing and it will be a bit of new learning for everyone.”

However, for his first race of the season, Lawson should already face a challenge as he will start from the back of the grid due to a power unit change. Despite Christian Horner stating that the New Zealander’s penalty will allow him to have a smoother start this weekend, Lawson pointed out that everyone has their own perspective on the matter. For him, the priority is to have the best possible opportunity and to perform well at the Austin Grand Prix, even though his starting position may make it difficult.

Although, for now, Lawson asserts that his main goal remains Visa Cash App Racing Bull, he also has future ambitions for the main Red Bull team. Questioned about this possibility, he first recalled not thinking about it but is aware that RBR represents his future: “My goal is to join Red Bull Racing in the future and I know that on their side they are also trying to see how the team will evolve. When Max or Checo go somewhere else, then they will need drivers ready for that. So, I am aware that if I do a good job, that’s where my future will be. When will this happen? It’s not something I really think about, because I know it will depend entirely on how I behave in my current seat.”

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