Liam Lawson says that experience has taught him to remain patient about his future as part of the Red Bull program, one year after replacing Daniel Ricciardo after the Grand Prix of Singapore.
In 2024, Ricciardo was dropped for Lawson for the rest of the season for Lawson, which marked the end of the Formula 1 career of the Australian. Lawson was then promoted to Red Bull at the start of this year, but after just two races returned to Racing Bulls, with improvement of the performance that was reflected in a career-best fifth place in Azerbaijan. Despite that result, Lawson does not quickly expect a decision about his plans of 2026.
“We have clearly done this for a long time and we are well aware that we need good versions to stay in sport and that is to be honest what I am concentrating on at the moment,” Lawson said. “Baku was great, but of course we need more to go through the next few races.
“I would like to know tomorrow, to be honest, but in this camp it is of course very normal to stay a bit on hold and that’s how it is at the moment. I know the only thing that has control that my performance is in the car, so until I have that answer, I think that’s exactly what I am focused on.
“Of course there are a number of very exciting, unique, cool races going on. For me, now that the entire cycle of tracks have done, go to songs that I have done before, is exciting and it is the part that I enjoy the season most.
Lawson admits that he has never felt like a Formula 1 driver.
“To be honest, I think that unless you have multi-year contracts and even then I think that Formula 1 contracts, all contracts, can be made at the end of the day to be broken in a way, so the only time you are safe is when you acted,” he said. “I don’t think there are many drivers, apart from some of the best guys who will feel completely safe in sport.
“But it is in no way a new feeling, it is something we are very used to. It is something that, especially in the Red Bull program, we have introduced at a very young age, knowing that the only way you step through the ladder is by acting, and you always have that pressure. So it is on a larger scale, but it is the same.”
While he is in competition for a racing state, Lawson received a lot of respect for Ricciardo (left). Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty images
A year ago, Lawson was the center of a lot of speculation in Singapore, in which Red Bull de Swap did not officially confirm with Ricciardo until after the race weekend, despite telling comments from the eight -fold racing winner prior to the announcement. Although Ricciardo has been driving little time in the public eye since then, Lawson says that he will continue to feel his support.
“It was clearly extremely uncomfortable,” he said about that time. “I think the only thing I took away was how much a good person is Daniel, how he was for me through the entire journey when I first came into the chair when he had his injury to go back to reserve.
“We had a very good relationship – we still do that, to be honest. He sent me a nice message after Baku. He is clear at his own journey at the moment, but he is very supportive. We are also from the same part of the world, so we probably both understand that it is quite difficult to come so far and we both have good luck.
“He has been a bit in the open air – probably must shave his beard in the opinions of most people!”
#Lawson #remembers #Ricciardo #support #waiting #decision #Red #Bull #future #Racer