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Lawson "stoked to be back racing" as he prepares for the United States GP
Liam Lawson has said that he is "looking forward" to his first race as a full-time F1 driver at the United States Grand Prix this weekend. The New Zealander comes into the Visa Cash App RB fold with six races remaining in the 2024 season, replacing Daniel Ricciardo during the month-long autumn break.
Lawson looks ahead to United States Grand Prix
It is not the first time that Lawson has replaced the Australian at VCARB, having to do so after the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix after Ricciardo was injured crashing in free practice. However, Lawson now comes in as a full-time driver, replacing Ricciardo after the 35-year-old struggled to keep up with teammate Yuki Tsunoda, along with rumours surrounding Lawson's contract being another reason why 'The Honey Badger' was let go.
But for Lawson, it is a great opportunity to prove he deserves this F1 seat after showing great potential last season: "I’m super excited for Austin and getting in the RB VCARB 01 for the first time. I’ve been to COTA a few times as a reserve and it’s probably one of my favourite races to go to, the atmosphere there is amazing," Lawson explained.
"Although it’s a track I have yet to race at, I’ve spent plenty of time on it in the simulator. It has a great layout, so I’m looking forward to driving it for the first time, and just generally stoked to be back racing and working with the team to get the best results we can," the VCARB driver concluded.
The second seat to drive alongside Tsunoda for the 2025 season has not yet been confirmed by VCARB, with many options at their disposal. But Lawson now has six races to show what he can do behind the wheel of an F1 car again. What hurts the driver from New Zealand that he will begin at COTA with a 10-place grid penalty.
Lawson "prepared" for Austin says Permane
Although Lawson is not too experienced with the Circuit of The Americas track in Austin, Texas, Alan Permane, VCARB's racing director, thinks Lawson will be well-prepared at the start of the weekend in Austin: "This weekend we will welcome Liam Lawson back to the cockpit, and it’s a Sprint weekend, so only one hour of practice before we head into the competitive sessions. Liam has spent a lot of time in the simulator for both track familiarisation and setup work and is as prepared as possible for the challenge ahead."
This article was created in collaboration with Estéban den Toom
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14 October 2024
