Lawson Receives High Praise From AlphaTauri CEO Amid Prospective 2025 Return

Monday, 08 January 2024 at 19:00

A prospective 2025 F1 driver Liam Lawson, recently received high praise from the CEO of the AlphaTauri team for which he raced five races in 2023.

Liam Lawson got an unexpected chance to compete in F1 after Daniel Ricciardo's hand injury during the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix Free Practice session.

The 21-year-old was afforded five races with AlphaTauri during Ricciardo's recovery period, and with incredible performances, he showed he deserves a seat in F1. Peter Bayer remembered the talks with Red Bull's management before giving the opportunity to Lawson, as he told speedcafe.com:

"Helmut was also very convinced by his natural speed but Franz [Tost, former AlphaTauri team principal] was initially a bit sceptical. He said, ‘Looking at his results, I’m not sure’."

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Looking strictly at Lawson's past results might not impress as there are few drivers with much more impressive record, but Helmut Marko was convinced Lawson was the right driver to be given the opportunity.

"If you purely look at the results, he wouldn’t be a standout driver, but he has done a lot of racing, and in different categories, and again and again he was showing there was a spark. Helmut was 100 percent, ‘That’s the guy.’"

Franz Tost has been with AlphaTauri ever since the team's inception in 2006. He worked with many young drivers in the past and didn't feel there was anything special about the Kiwi driver, but in the end, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner managed to convince him, according to Bayer.

"Franz, Christian [Horner, Red Bull team principal] and I had a long discussion, and that’s how Liam got the reserve role."

Lawson got his opportunity to shine, but it was possibly the worst moment. With changing conditions, the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort was one of the most challenging races of the season.

"Liam said that in Zandvoort he was so f***ing nervous. He said he was like this in the car [shaky hands], but then once he got going, he was alright. That’s a racing driver, when suddenly the switch falls and you transform that excitement into performance"

In the end, the 21-year-old not only managed to complete the race without major issues, he also beat his teammate Yuki Tsunoda which was very important.

"That’s really where you see the difference with these guys, and that’s what he is absolutely capable of. Put him in the car, that’s the switch, and he goes."

Lawson's performances changed Tost's opinion quite quickly, and even though he did not get a seat in F1 for season 2024, the former team principal said the Kiwi deserves a seat in F1 and should get it at least by 2025.