Next month, at the US Grand Prix, Liam Lawson will make his Formula One comeback, albeit with a regrettable handicap.
Due to VCARB requiring a new power unit, Liam Lawson will begin the US Grand Prix next month with an unfavorable disadvantage and a 10-place grid penalty.
On Thursday, the New Zealander’s comeback to the Formula One grid was officially announced, with Daniel Ricciardo giving way for the last six races of the 2024 season. In 2025, Lawson is anticipated to make a full-time comeback.
When the 22-year-old returns to the Austin grid in October, he will have an uphill battle. Helmut Marko told Autosport, “I think the first [race] won’t be relevant because he has an engine penalty.” “Life in Austin isn’t exactly made easier by 10 spots in the sprint race.”
Lawson has to bide his time until his moment to shine. The Hastings native made an impression during his five-race stint filling in for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023, and many anticipated that he would drive for VCARB full-time in 2024. However, he was ultimately relegated to a reserve and test role.
He is once again in the spotlight. The rumors about Ricciardo’s future in Singapore shocked the rest of the F1 community, but Lawson already knew that his comeback to the grid was imminent.
“Undoubtedly, I was aware of it for the past approximately two weeks,” he clarified following the declaration on Thursday. “But obviously it doesn’t feel set until it’s out there to the world, and it’s not like I could tell anybody.”
He went on, “This was at least where it was heading; this had been the plan for a long time. It goes without saying that I had a contract date that I had to kind of meet.
“Basically, everything was always moving in this direction, but a few weeks ago, they informed me that this was what would happen, and soon after, everything was finalized.”
Now, the 22-year-old has a rare chance to show that he can succeed as Sergio Perez’s long-term replacement. Over the previous 18 months, the Mexican has been flattering and deceiving, and Christian Horner and Red Bull would be happy to have an in-form Lawson as a competitor.
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