A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
Liam Lawson 's 2024 F1 career only spanned for 6 Grand Prix, however, the New Zealander certainly left his mark. His 'feud' with Fernando Alonso was one of the high-profile moments of the home stretch of the season, but, according to Max Verstappen's new teammate, he only raced the Spaniard as he "races people."
Following his F1 debut with Red Bull's sister team in 2023, he drove a second stint for the team in 2024 replacing ousted Daniel Ricciardo from Austin and onward. During the sprint race, the New Zealander and Fernando Alonso were racing closely, and the Spaniard was not at all happy with how things went and even called Lawson an "idiot" on the onboard radio, leaving the Aston Martin driver still incensed toward Lawson.
Did Lawson overdrive, trying to make a point?
Alonso argued at the time that Lawson needed to prove himself, but that this was not the best approach. The 22-year-old disagrees with the Spaniard. "I went in there, obviously, in a unique position. I had five, six races that I knew I was gonna get and that was my stint to prove that I was worthy of an F1 seat. Whether that was the VCARB (Racing Bulls) or Red Bull, that was all I had the opportunity for."
"These guys race, especially Fernando [Alonso], he's raced a long time, so I went in there and made the most of every single lap that I drove in the car and I didn't intend on pissing him off, obviously, I just raced him how I race people, and it did that. I just tried to make the most of it," Lawson told Stuff.
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On his attitude and his approach to racing, Lawson doesn't think he's changed. "I don't think I've changed at all. I don't think it's something-- maybe I wasn't on TV enough before or something like that, I don't know, but basically this is how I've always raced and especially with the pathway to F1 quite often it feels unfair."
Although, he does seem to recognise that at time he did go too far, like during his battle with Sergio Perez in the Mexican Grand Prix. "I've always had to, obviously, make the most of every opportunity. I've been extremely lucky with the timing of everything. I went in there and raced exactly how I feel like I always have. Knowing, maybe that extra bit of pressure, knowing what was on the line, maybe that obviously sparked a few more some of my not so finest moments, but obviously I'm always learning as well, and I learn from those," concluded Lawson.
Still, Lawson's method worked in the end, as he managed to prove himself to Red Bull Racing, being appointed by the Austrian team as Verstappen's new teammate, replacing Perez as of the upcoming season.
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