Although AlphaTauri’s two Australasian drivers are competitors on the F1 track, it was refreshing to hear Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo share a rare wholesome moment over FaceTime, ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Much of the narrative surrounding the Formula 1 season has been on the enduring game of musical chairs being played over at AlphaTauri and Red Bull; the two teams occupy both the top and bottom spots in the Constructors’ following the runaway success of Max Verstappen and the RB19, and the stuttering performances of AlphaTauri’s four different drivers further down the ladder.
It seems, Liam Lawson, Red Bull’s junior driver, entered the fray at just the right time. The Kiwi rookie was competing in Super Formula in Japan when he got the call to replace Daniel Ricciardo following an accident in Zandvoort that left the Australian driver with a broken hand.
Since taking over stand-in duties in Ricciardo’s absence, Lawson has been instrumental for his new team, earning a career-high of P9 in just his second race in Formula 1, outperforming his new teammate Yuki Tsunoda during each of his first three races.
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It’s led many to speculate where Lawson would end up in 2024, but as AlphaTauri confirmed its line-up would remain unchanged next season, Lawson was faced with another season spent on the sidelines.
The Kiwi driver has acquited himself well when called upon this season, and Red Bull are in no rush to reintroduce Ricciardo and risk aggravating his hand injury, but they’re confident they have sufficient cover in the form of Lawson, and their new emerging superstar is certainly one for the future.
And while Ricciardo’s scheduled return in Austin will no doubt excite F1 fans the world over, this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix has just come around too soon, leaving Lawson to continue his impressive start to Formula 1 with Red Bull’s sister outfit.
WATCH Liam Lawson reveals Daniel Ricciardo FaceTimed him to tell him the good news below.
Speaking ahead of Qatar during the pre-race press conference, Lawson said: “On Monday I was sitting at lunch, and I had a random number call me, and it was a FaceTime. So I was really confused because people don’t just FaceTime randomly, and it was just Daniel’s face.
“He basically said that he thought he would let me have another weekend. Obviously good to be back, good to be in the car this weekend, a very different circuit, but I’m excited.”
While these two Formula 1 drivers compete for a permanent seat on the grid, it’s heartwarming to witness them sharing a genuine off-track moment, reinforcing Daniel Ricciardo’s commitment to nurturing emerging young racing talent and showing once again why he’s one of the sport’s nice guys.