Liam Lawson has not even completed a full F1 season yet and he has seemingly already rattled two experienced drivers — Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez. Both Alonso and Perez over the last few race weekends have expressed their frustrations with Lawson’s driving style, but it seems that nothing is going to change, as that is how the New Zealander races.
“I raced both of them exactly how I would race anybody on the grid. And any of the moves that happened on the track for me, there were no frustrations in those moves. That’s how I race,” Lawson told ESPN’s Nate Saunders ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Saunders asked Lawson about the same as the RB driver has had some tense moments on the track with both Alonso and Perez, who did not shy away from berating the 22-year-old. After their battle during the US GP sprint race in Austin, Alonso said, “Too much action, maybe, from Lawson, who has six races to prove things. I don’t think it’s the best way, but it’s his career at stake and not mine”.
Liam Lawson vs Fernando Alonso
The duo came together in a number of sessions across the weekend #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/6TLM3z8PGO
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 22, 2024
Perez, who made contact with Lawson at the Mexico City GP, also reminded the New Zealander of what Alonso said about him just a week ago and called him out for his “out of control” attitude. “He nearly crashed with Fernando last weekend, he nearly crashed with Franco [Colpainto],” Perez said. “I think he’s just racing everyone out of control at the moment.”
After Perez and Lawson’s Mexico skirmish, there were spottings of Red Bull boss Christian Horner having a chat with the Kiwi driver. While the 22-year-old is gunning for a full-time seat at either of Red Bull’s teams for next season, they would want to him to compromise one of their own drivers.
Is Lawson’s “out of control” behavior proving too much for Red Bull to handle?
When Red Bull decided to replace Daniel Ricciardo with Lawson at RB after the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, many experts believed the team made such a move to groom the New Zealander to race on their main team.
However, it is possible that Lawson’s recent behavior, which was also called out by both Horner and Helmut Marko, may make the team reevaluate their options.
[Jose Antonio Cortes] Christian Horner did not like Liam Lawson’s handling or attitude towards Sergio Perez and called him to his office at the end of the Mexico GP
byu/jovanmilic97 informula1
Lawson’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda too fell down Red Bull’s pecking order for a similar reason. Many experts believed that Red Bull did not deem the Japanese driver’s temperament fit enough to drive for them because of his hot-headed personality.
A similar situation could be seen with Lawson, as Red Bull already seem to be looking at other options. With Horner recently visiting Williams’ motorhome, possibly to discuss the future of highly talented Franco Colapinto, rumors have emerged that Red Bull are considering signing the Argentine directly to their main team.
