Liam Lawson reveals his tense fight to secure a seat at Zandvoort, highlighting Red Bull’s initial plan to hire a more experienced driver.
Lawson was called up to replace Daniel Ricciardo following the Australian’s accident at Zandvoort.
The RB F1 reserve driver revealed that he had just spoken with Helmut Marko and that the discussion had been tense because the New Zealander didn’t understand why he wasn’t being considered for a full-time position the following year.
“I had just had a big crash at Motegi [in Super Formula], but apart from that, the season was going well,” Lawson told The Red Flags. “I had done all the Formula 1 work and everything was going smoothly. I decided to pitch myself to him during that meeting and explain why I thought I should be in the car.”
“I spent 20 minutes doing that and asking why he wasn’t hiring me for 2024, etc. I think he started to get a little annoyed. I left, and the accident happened an hour later.”
Lawson revealed that he insisted on being chosen as Ricciardo’s replacement. In difficult conditions, with rain and no practice on Friday, he believed the team would have opted for a more experienced driver.
“It was really strange because I knew they were deciding what they were going to do. I also knew that when they made their decision, I was the reserve driver, but they weren’t just deciding about my return. There were potentially other drivers they were considering removing for the weekend.”
“So I thought I needed to see Helmut and Franz [Tost, team principal], go see them and act as if I was completely confident and ready to be called up.”
“But at Zandvoort, it was an important race, and learning quickly was crucial, so they could have hired someone much more experienced. And that’s what they were going to do.”
“So I had to act with full confidence. I found Helmut talking with Franz, and Helmut looked at me. I walked into their conversation, and he looked at me and said, ‘Are you ready?’ and I replied, ‘Yes’.”
Lawson’s Battle: Red Bull’s Surprising Zandvoort Choice. Lawson’s Battle: Red Bull’s Surprising Zandvoort Choice
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