Following extensive speculation about Daniel Ricciardo’s future during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend where he hinted it might be his final race, the announcement came days later confirming that the 35-year-old would leave the team with immediate effect. Liam Lawson, who previously served as RB’s reserve driver, was announced as the replacement for the remainder of the season.
In an interview with New Zealand’s Newstalk ZB radio station after the announcement of the seat swap, Lawson revealed that he had been informed of the plans “a couple of weeks ago,” indicating that he was aware of the impending changes while watching the Singapore weekend action from RB’s garage.
When asked about his experience at Marina Bay, knowing he would soon take over for Ricciardo, Lawson replied, “Not good, honestly. Singapore was definitely not an enjoyable weekend for me, mainly because we all knew what was coming.”
The New Zealander also heaped praise on Ricciardo saying the Australian has always been good to him and that he suggested him to make the most of this opportunity.
“At the same time, Daniel has always been very good to me, in a lot of ways when I drove last year and then even this season. I’ve never felt in competition with him or anything like that, never made it feel like that. Lawson said.
“It wasn’t a nice feeling, but obviously this, for me, is… I get one shot at F1 and it’s come now and I’m obviously grateful for that opportunity, but I now need to take it with both hands. At the same time, he said the same thing to me, and he said, ‘You need to make the most of it’.” he added.
While Ricciardo faced questions about his future throughout the Marina Bay weekend, the former McLaren driver seemed to handle it well in public. Lawson was then asked if Ricciardo had been just as composed about the situation when speaking to him directly.
“He has,” the 22-year-old answered. “He did a very good job on the weekend, honestly. I have a huge amount of respect for how he dealt with everything. I can’t really imagine what that… It’s a similar position I was in last year, but obviously, the guy is a lot more public and famous than I am, so he’s getting a lot of questions, and trying to sidestep those he did a very good job at.”
Liam Lawson’s second stint with RB will begin at the Circuit of the Americas in the United States Grand Prix. He previously replaced Ricciardo last season at RB (previously Alpha Tauri) when the Australian broke his hand.
Read More: Charles Leclerc “Curious” to Team Up With Lewis Hamilton Next Season
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
