Alex Jacques Explains Why Liam Lawson Never Had a Successful Stint in Formula 2

Liam Lawson was always highly regarded by Red Bull, the team he represented as a junior driver. However, during his time in F2, he never made the same impact as some of his peers. Despite not securing the F2 title, Red Bull still appointed him as a reserve driver, and he even got the chance to step into F1 as Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement last year. But if Lawson had such potential, why didn’t he stand out in F2? Commentator Alex Jacques offers an explanation.

Jacques, on the Formula for Success podcast, admitted that Lawson always drove for the wrong teams in the feeder series. Because they were not ‘factory teams’, as he referred to them, Lawson was inconsistent.

“There would be races, where he’d be absolutely rapid,” said Jacques. “And you’d think he was a surefire bet for F1. And there’d be races where you wouldn’t say his name on the broadcast.” 

Jacques recalled that during his last year in F2 (2022), Lawson won four races — but they were all sprint races, which started in a reverse order for the top 10.

The F1TV commentator also suggested that Lawson would have been more consistent had he driven for a team like Prema or ART — traditional F2 powerhouses. Instead, Lawson was with Carlin and Hitech GP.

Jacques reveals Lawson’s biggest strength

According to Jacques, adaptability is where Lawson excels. He mentioned that the New Zealander was good in DTM, Super Formula, and even F1 — although it was for just five races.

In both DTM and Super Formula, Lawson finished P2 in the Championship standings, which convinced Red Bull even more of his talent. When Ricciardo injured his wrist in 2023 and had to be sidelined for five races, Lawson rose to the occasion and did a commendable job.

In a sub-par AlphaTauri (now RB) car, he scored two points, finishing P9 at last year’s Singapore GP. After this year’s race at the Marina Bay Circuit, Lawson’s permanent move to the Faenza-based team was confirmed.