Lawson looks forward to Monza: 'It will be a big challenge'

At Zandvoort, Lawson had to make a sudden appearance after Ricciardo broke his hand in the second free practice session. With no serious preparation, the New Zealander had to step into a car he had never driven before. As hectic as last weekend, things will not be as hectic at the Italian Grand Prix. Unlike at Zandvoort, this time there was the opportunity to go through things properly beforehand.

'Great to do this'

"I was in the simulator this week, and even though we didn’t need to do much playing around with the seat to make me comfortable in the car, there are a few things we have looked at for this weekend. Monza is a lot lower downforce, so I'll have to get used to that. Having not driven a Formula 1 car there, it will still be quite a big challenge, but it is more of a straightforward circuit, and it’s one I’ve driven a few times already. Regardless, there’ll be a lot more to learn, a lot more to improve on, and a lot from Zandvoort to reflect on to use for this week," said Lawson.

The Italian Grand Prix is AlphaTauri's home race. "Going to Monza with an Italian team is also going to be special. If I think back to last weekend, Formula 1 is just such a different world – the difference between walking into the circuit on Friday compared to walking into the circuit on Saturday, I’ve never experienced anything like that, specifically that level of attention. Being a home race in Monza, I imagine it’s going to be even more significant there. It’s amazing to be doing this. It’s been my dream since before I can even remember, so it’s very cool to have this opportunity, and I’m just going to try to make the most of it."