Liam Lawson Makes Impressive F1 Comeback at U.S. Grand Prix

Liam Lawson impressed Red Bull boss Christian Horner with his performance at the U.S. Grand Prix where he made a remarkable return to Formula One by racing from 19th to ninth place. The 22-year-old New Zealander stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo at the Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri team for the remainder of the season and he has the opportunity to secure a 2025 race seat with strong performances.

Lawson’s weekend got off to a challenging start as he began the race at the back of the grid due to an inherited engine penalty. Despite this setback, he had already caught attention during Saturday’s sprint race when he clashed with Aston Martin’s two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who was less than pleased and labeled him an “idiot” after the incident.

However, Horner viewed Lawson’s competitive spirit positively, stating, “If you’re getting into a spat and getting your elbows out with Fernando on your first race back, you’re doing alright.” Reflecting on his race, Lawson admitted he didn’t expect to perform so well. “I just went for every little gap and made up some positions,” he said, crediting the team for improving the car’s performance during the weekend.

He added, “We made a really good step up with the car yesterday which we hoped would replicate in the race today, and thankfully it did.” AlphaTauri team boss Laurent Mekies praised Liam Lawson’s efforts, emphasizing the significance of his performance considering he hadn’t raced since October of the previous year. Overall, Lawson’s impressive comeback signals his potential as a driver and he has set the stage for a promising remainder of the season.