Liam Lawson’s hunt for Red Bull F1 seat starts from USA GP: “Great race, we didn’t expect it”. Liam Lawson had an extraordinary second debut in Texas to finish the Austin race in P9.

Liam Lawson had an extraordinary second debut in Texas, delivering a solid race and finishing the United States Grand Prix in ninth place with his VCARB number 30 at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin.

A points finish that feels like an achievement, not so much due to the capabilities of the Faenza car, but rather because of the position from which the New Zealander started: the 2002-born driver was forced to start from the back of the grid due to the use of a fifth Power Unit, a penalty inherited from Daniel Ricciardo and already announced beforehand.

After the 56 laps in Austin, Liam Lawson expressed his satisfaction and surprise at the result: “I had a great race, I didn’t expect it given the starting position. I wanted to learn as much as possible, and in the car, I had good feelings. We knew we were strong in qualifying, but we weren’t sure how we would perform in the race. We made great progress compared to yesterday, so I’m extremely happy with the work the team has done. Finishing the first weekend this way is definitely something very positive, now let’s focus on Mexico.” – he pointed out at the end of the United States Grand Prix.

The Racing Bulls driver secured two important points for the Constructors’ standings, bringing the Italian team to 36 points, just two shy of sixth place, held by Haas, which also finished in the top ten thanks to Nico Hulkenberg’s eighth place. The native of Hastings, in his first race since returning to Formula 1, also sent a message to Red Bull and, more importantly, to Sergio Perez, who finished seventh with only a ten-second margin over the rival with whom he will compete for the seat until the end of the 2024 Formula One season.