Lawson clarifies his anger at McLaren for British national anthem choice
F1 News
Though he is only a recent addition the grid, Liam Lawson has been no stranger to controversy. Over the break before the 2024 season's final three races, Lawson caused yet another stir as he called 'bullsh*t' on a podcast about the fact that McLaren celebrates with the British national anthem and not New Zealand's, as is the home of the team's founder Bruce McLaren. Speaking to the media in Las Vegas, the young New Zealand driver clarified his comment.
Lawson explained to GPblog and other media in Las Vegas that he attributes the controversy to his lack of experience in handling media duties. "I think this is stuff that I'm learning in Formula 1. As Lando said, stuff gets taken out of context."
He then explained how his comments were meant to be light-hearted, "It's ironic, I was laughing when I mentioned this comment in a podcast. And it was more of a joke, but obviously it got taken very literally. So, yeah, I don't really have anything to add on that."
'Bruce McLaren is somebody who is an absolute icon'
The VCARB driver shared that the initial comment came from his pride in his home country. "Obviously, I'm very proud to be from New Zealand and our motorsport history. Bruce McLaren is somebody who is an absolute icon in New Zealand in motorsport. So somebody I looked up to and learned a lot about, let's say, when I was younger. So, yeah, obviously proud to be a New Zealander, but I don't have anything to add on the national anthem."
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