Lawson impresses F1 grid: 'That would be my nightmare'

Max Verstappen was out after Q2 on Saturday at the Singapore GP. Rookie Liam Lawson replacing Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri was particularly narrowly outpacing the two-time F1 champion. Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and George Russell impressed with the New Zealander.

It was these three drivers who were fastest in qualifying on Saturday. And after the session, they spoke to the press. Red Bull Racing drivers Verstappen and Sergio Perez were absent for once and it was Liam Lawson, currently driving his second full GP weekend and already managing to make an appearance in Q3. Lawson stunted his Saturday in Singapore and it did not go unnoticed.

Russell, Leclerc and Sainz raise praise for Lawson

Russell: "I think he's been doing a really great job to be honest. I followed him a little bit through his F3/F2 career, saw he was doing a great job in Super Formula and it's never easy to be thrown into Formula One as a rookie midseason, with no experience. The tracks that we've been racing that haven't exactly been the easiest."

Leclerc said: "He's doing an impressive job already, after Zanvoort we spoke a little bit and I was telling him how impressed I was because to do your first race in those conditions is probably a nightmare for anybody so he's doing a great job." Teammate Sainz says he doesn't have much time to watch others, but added: "By the looks of it and by the sounds of it It looks like he's doing a very very good job. I’ll congratulate him because to get to Q3 in Singapore is not easy, especially jumping in the car halfway through the season."