Despite finding his way back to F1 after a forced hiatus, Daniel Ricciardo had to step aside again. This was due to an injury he sustained back at the Dutch GP. This prompted the Red Bull fraternity to bring in Liam Lawson as a replacement and he immediately became a huge contender for both the AlphaTauri and Red Bull seats. Amid this, the New Zealander revealed, as per F1 Maximal, that the Honey Badger helped him master his skills in the sport.
Lawson has spent the majority of his junior career in the Red Bull academy. However, his breakthrough took place after he was called in to fill Ricciardo‘s shoes. In doing so, Lawson heavily impressed his top bosses, even though he only took part in three F1 races.
Daniel Ricciardo reflects on his recovery from injury and says he’s feeling ‘confident’ 💪 pic.twitter.com/R4FoLxP06u
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 20, 2023
Furthermore, Lawson also revealed that Max Verstappen played a pivotal role in helping him settle down in the sport and making things smoother for him.
Liam Lawson spoke on Ricciardo’s help despite the risk of a seat
Lawson got the chance to race in F1 because of Ricciardo’s injury in Zandvoort. He delivered as soon as he got his shot and consequently, he became an instant threat to the Australian driver’s seat.
Nevertheless, Ricciardo indeed helped Lawson to settle down and he talked about this, as per F1 Maximal, “Daniel [Ricciardo] helped me a lot in Zandvoort before he had to undergo his operation. I spoke to him on Friday evening and that was very nice.”
Daniel Ricciardo has declared he’s “ready to go” as he prepares to return from injury for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/REgUAMtKbv
— The Project (@theprojecttv) October 19, 2023
However, the Honey Badger returned to the sport in the recently concluded United States Grand Prix and was not happy with how things unfolded for him at Austin. Nevertheless, he spoke about the need for improvement in the upcoming races.
Can Daniel Ricciardo cement his place in the Red Bull fraternity?
As Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo temporarily, he showed that he is a serious contender for seats in either AlphaTauri or Red Bull. With Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez settled in the main team, there are chances that the New Zealander might lurk towards Ricciardo’s seat.
However, at the same time, Ricciardo could also have an eye on Perez’s seat if the chance comes calling. Nevertheless, he is content with his seat at AlphaTauri and has secured his future with the team till 2024.
Admittedly, the Honey Badger must beat the longtime AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda in the same team to cement his place in the future. Only then, he can be allowed to have a go at the prestigious seat alongside Max Verstappen.
