Liam Lawson made a big name for himself in the 2023 season, filling in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri. His impressive performances also led to him being linked to a Red Bull seat in the future. Despite those links and being a Red Bull junior, Lawson revealed that his ultimate hero is none other than Lewis Hamilton, who is the star driver of his team’s biggest rival, Mercedes.
Lawson said in the Beyond the Grid podcast,
“I read Scott’s book when I was a lot younger and Lewis Hamilton as well. Lewis was like my ultimate hero from when I was really, really young. I don’t read at all. I didn’t really read back then. The only books I would read was biographies of drivers, so I read Lewis’ book as well when I was a kid.”
Lawson, like several others of his age, could easily look up to Lewis Hamilton as his biggest inspiration. He showed similarities to Hamilton. The Briton, in his rookie year back in 2007, was unfazed, going up against some of the best drivers on the grid, including his two-time world champion teammate Fernando Alonso.
Similarly, Lawson also impressed the grid and the top bosses with his five-race stint at AlphaTauri. Given the talent he has, a lot of teams would love to have Lawson in their ranks. Lawson has a lot to take away from 2023, including getting the opportunity to go up against his hero Hamilton, and also his rival Alonso.
Lawson got to compete against Alonso and Hamilton
Because he filled in as Ricciardo’s substitute, Lawson got to race against the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Alonso which was special for him because he saw them on TV while growing up. In fact, he labeled the former McLaren duo as an inspiration.
Lawson is incredibly grateful that he got to talk to Hamilton and Alonso. For any any fanboy growing up, interacting with their idol in real life seems surreal, let alone sharing the paddock with them. However, talking about the future, Lawson wants to set these feelings aside. He sees Hamilton and Alonso as rivals, and hopes to race against them in the near future.
Lawson’s chance to become an F1 driver arrived after Daniel Ricciardo injured his wrist in Zandvoort. Since he was a Red Bull reserve, the Milton-Keynes-based team thought he was the best fit for their sister team, AlphaTauri. As things stand, the New Zealander might see himself racing for either of the Red Bull teams in 2025.
