All Blacks head coach Ian Foster and Italy's Kieran Crowley clash over claims that the NZ side will 'intimidate' and 'bully' the Italians in the upcoming match. Video / NZ Herald
Liam Lawson’s time racing in Formula One this season is not over just yet.
After four impressive performances behind the wheel for AlphaTauri, the 21-year-old Kiwi has been confirmed to return to the team in a racing capacity for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Lawson will suit up for a fifth drive with Red Bull Racing’s development team as Daniel Ricciardo continues to work back into full driving condition after suffering a hand injury last month.
The 34-year-old Australian required surgery on the fifth metacarpal on his left hand after it was broken during a crash in a practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. As reported by the Herald last week Ricciardo won’t be risked in Qatar. There was earlier suggestions by Alpha Tauri that Ricciardo would be ready to go for the Qatar Grand Prix, but it has been confirmed he will sit out another race.
The team said in a statement to the BBC they want to give Ricciardo “a little more time” to recover.
“It is a combination of things but it doesn’t make any sense to risk for no reason,” the spokesperson said.
The timeline for Ricciardo’s return has been fluid ever since, with Lawson’s success since stepping into the car in the Australian’s place giving the team no need to rush their incumbent driver back. After Qatar, it’s a two-week break until the United States Grand Prix in Texas.
Ricciardo has developed a massive profile with the American market, and the team could choose to give him another event off to ensure he is good to go in Texas.
It is expected Daniel Ricciardo is more likely to make his race return at the United States GP in Texas rather than at next weekend's event in Qatar. Photo / Getty Images
With Ricciardo already signed with AlphaTauri for the 2024 season, there was no real reason - outside of the competitive drive of an elite athlete - for him to rush himself back if he is not truly at 100 per cent.
Since replacing Nyck de Vries, who struggled for performance through the first 10 races of the season, Ricciardo only competed in two events before being injured. In those two races, he finished 13th (Hungary) and 16th (Belgium).
For Lawson, another drive means another opportunity to prove himself, with his sights set on a fulltime seat in 2025 after missing out next season with AlphaTauri; Ricciardo and incumbent lead driver Yuki Tsunoda were selected as the team’s two drivers for 2024.
Next year, Lawson will again be the reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri, with the young Kiwi rumoured to have been promised a fulltime drive in 2025 in exchange for his services.
Last month after the Japanese Grand Prix, Lawson, who finished the race in 11th ahead of Tsunoda in 12th, moved to quash any thoughts of him being a candidate to join Williams, with the British team being the only ones who still have an open seat for the 2024 campaign.
“I’m a Red Bull driver,” Lawson told media after the race.
“All the Red Bull seats are filled and unfortunately for me that means that, for now, I’ll be reserve driver. I’ve got my head down at the moment trying to make the most of these races. Ultimately, obviously my goal is to be in F1 so I’ll try and do what I can to achieve that in the future.
“One of the positives about being a Red Bull driver is, for me having five years in this programme, it’s a high-pressure programme. We’re put under pressure from day one, and I’m now used to that. It’s been five years of that, so situations like this, I’m ready for them.”
