Liam Lawson has made a solid return to Formula One, taking 16th place in the sprint race for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Starting 15th on the grid after his best qualifying time on Saturday was deleted, Lawson got through the shortened 19-lap race without any major incident, but gained valuable time on track before Monday’s 56-lap Grand Prix.
The race saw Racing Bulls’ Lawson complete a sprint race for the first time in his fledgling Formula One career, after he was forced to retire on the opening lap in Qatar last year.
While 16th is hardly a result that will see Lawson hit any major headlines, the 22-year-old Kiwi got the better of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso (18th), a two-time world champion. As Lawson and Alonso clashed on lap seven, their battle allowed Alpine’s Esteban Ocon to pull off a double overtake on the pair, and see the Kiwi lose one place.
“[It was] a tricky start, a tricky first lap,” said Lawson post-race. “We just dropped off a little bit earlier than others. I lost a spot I probably shouldn’t have with Ocon.