Liam Lawson’s outing at the Abu Dhabi GP marked an anti-climactic end to his 2024 season. The New Zealander’s race was compromised by pit stop issues, resulting in an early exit.
Lawson started the race well, holding his position in the midfield battle as he was just outside the top 10. In fact, he got as high as P6 as they extended the first stint.
Nightmare in the pits
However, his race turned upside down during his first pit stop. A misstep in fitting the front-left wheel left him limping around the track on a loose wheel, and he had to come in again for a proper fix, costing him lap time and dropping him down the order.
Speaking post-race, Lawson shared his perspective of what had happened.
“When I was driving out, yeah, once I drove out and I came out of the tunnel when I turned right to come out onto the track, I could see then that it was sparking and shaking, so I reported it straight away,” Lawson explained.
“But, yeah, it’s a shame. I need to review it properly, but I’m pretty sure I saw that light go green and I went. And then, yeah, I guess the wheel wasn’t on.”
Happy with his race pace
The team’s error resulted in an unsafe release, earning the Kiwi a penalty and dropping him to last place. Despite these setbacks, Lawson was pleased with his race pace, even while being two laps down.
“Honestly, it’s been good. And to be perfectly honest, today’s race was probably one of the best races I’ve driven,” he said.
“Even though we’re two laps down, the speed was really strong. And I gave it absolutely everything, as I have done in all these sessions. So I’m happy with the race today. In terms of performance, obviously, it just sucks that we couldn’t show it.”
Lawson hopes that Red Bull “don’t leave him hanging too long” about his future
Lawson kept pushing hard in the final part of the race, even though he wasn’t competing for points anymore. He aimed to leave a lasting impression on the Red Bull Racing team as they deliberate their 2025 driver line-up.
Speculation around the paddock suggests that Sergio Pérez’s seat at Red Bull may become available as the team plans to have a discussion soon about his future. Lawson and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda are seen as top contenders if the seat becomes available.
Lawson has been vocal about his ambitions, stating, “I don’t know yet. Obviously, my goal is to be in Formula 1 next year, but I don’t know where that will be right now.”
When pressed about a timeline for confirmation, Lawson replied, “I would hope in the next few days. I hope they don’t leave me hanging too long.”
The VCARB team couldn’t score any points in the final race, leaving them in eighth place overall. They finished 12 points behind Haas and 19 points behind Alpine.
As the curtain falls on the 2024 season, Red Bull faces a key decision about their 2025 driver line-ups for both teams, including deciding where Lawson will race next year.
