Liam Lawson made the most of his opportunity at the Dutch Grand Prix this past weekend as he had an outstanding debut. The 21-year-old, who replaced the injured Daniel Ricciardo finished the race in 13th, 2 positions ahead of experienced teammate Yuki Tsunoda. The New Zealander got his opportunity after Ricciardo fractured his wrist following his crash in the second practice session at the Dutch GP. As a result of the Australian’s injury, he will now miss at least three weeks of action, according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
A nasty moment for our Aussie pair during FP2
Daniel Ricciardo is being checked at the local hospital after the collision#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/RXdiSBLbtx
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2023
Due to Ricciardo’s absence, AlphaTauri have confirmed that Lawson will also replace the 34-year-old at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. Ahead of the race, Lawson has revealed in an interview with formulapassion.it how competing at Monza will help him fulfill his “lifelong dream“.
Liam Lawson explains his excitement to compete at the Italian GP
Liam Lawson began his recent interview with formulapassion.it by explaining how he is looking forward to competing in a full F1 weekend for the first time in his career. Since he only stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo during qualifying day, the 21-year-old believes that he did not get the opportunity to drive in all the practice sessions.
However, he added that the team did everything they could to make him feel as comfortable as possible before his debut. The New Zealander added that he has already begun his preparations for this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix by working on the simulator. After stating the same, Lawson added how he is looking forward to competing at Monza for the first time in his career.
The AlphaTauri reserve driver stated, “Racing in Monza with an Italian team will be special” before adding, “I’ve never experienced anything like it, particularly at this level of attention. I expect this home race in Monza will be even more significant. It’s great to be able to do that, it’s always been my dream. It’s nice to be able to have this opportunity and I will try to make the most of it“.
With Lawson looking to continue to impress, Ricciardo will be desperate to return as soon as possible. However, recent remarks from Christian Horner may suggest that it is likely to take a while for the Australian to return.
Christian Horner fears Daniel Ricciardo could be sidelined for a month
Soon after Daniel Ricciardo crashed into the barriers at Zandvoort, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner provided an update about the Australian’s injuries. While speaking to Sky Sports, the Briton stated that the 34-year-old may need to undergo a minor surgery to treat his fracture. He then added that Ricciardo’s injuries could mean that he’s out of action for approximately between three to six weeks.
Horner then concluded his remarks by stating that while the Honey Badger is keen on returning to action at the Singapore Grand Prix, which takes place on September 17, this could be a very optimistic timeline. Hence, with Ricciardo at least all set to miss this weekend’s action at Monza, it will also provide yet another golden opportunity for Lawson to impress.
