The much-anticipated return of Daniel Ricciardo to Formula 1 has been pushed back until the United States Grand Prix, enabling AlphaTauri's reserve driver, Liam Lawson, to complete racing responsibilities in Qatar this weekend. Nyck de Vries, the previous driver for AlphaTauri, was replaced by Ricciardo after his poor performance led to his dismissal. However, Australian driver Ricciardo shattered the metacarpal in his left hand in a crash at Zandvoort and had to have emergency surgery in Spain. Since then, Liam Lawson has taken over the driver's seat for AlphaTauri and performed admirably, collecting good results and even securing points for the team. This extra time will allow Lawson to continue stepping in for Ricciardo until 2024 when he will officially become Red Bull's reserve driver.
F1: Who is Liam Lawson? Driver Who Replaced Ricciardo
AlphaTauri's replacement for Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, has been outstanding, to say the least. Lawson, a native of Hastings, New Zealand, started out as a karting champion at a young age. A rookie in the NZ Formula First championship, he finished in sixth place and was named Rookie of the Year despite being only 14 years old. The Kiwi child prodigy won the F1600 Championship Series in 2016/17, making him the youngest Formula Ford world winner ever at the time. After dominating the competition in several competitions between 2017 and 2019, including the Euroformula Open Championship, the F3 Asian Championship, the ADAC Formula 4, and the Australian F4 Championship, Lawson won the Toyota Racing Series championship in his home event.
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After that, he became a part of Red Bull's junior driver programme and quickly began winning races at renowned tracks such as the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, and the Mugello Circuit. With the British squad Hitech Grand Prix, Lawson finished fifth in the Formula 3 standings. He raced with Hitech in Formula 2 in 2021 and 2022 and then made his F1 debut as Pierre Gasly's replacement in the opening practice session for the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, where he ended 19th. Right now in 2023, he is a test driver for AlphaTauri and a reserve driver for Red Bull Racing.
Lawson competed in his first Formula 1 race at Zandvoort, where he finished 13th despite the difficult weather conditions. He finished 11th at Monza and then ninth in Singapore. His race in Japan was more subdued, as he finished just outside the points in 11th place.
F1: Daniel Ricciardo's Continuing Journey with AlphaTauri in 2021
Daniel Ricciardo has restarted his 2023 Formula 1 career with AlphaTauri after having considered retiring in the face of setbacks, representing a new beginning and unyielding commitment. The 2023 season for Ricciardo was not an easy one. He made a surprising return to the sport when he replaced Nyck de Vries midway through the season, but a fractured hand forced him out of action. Despite this, he became even more determined in the face of hardship.
After 13 years and over 230 Grand Prix starts, Daniel Ricciardo is an undisputed legend in Formula 1, beloved by fans and admired by his contemporaries for his personality and brilliance. And yet, even for a man of his stature, the road to the 2024 season with AlphaTauri was paved with self-doubt and reflection.
It is unclear when Ricciardo will be ready to race again in 2023. His continued rehabilitation from injury and his decision to skip the Qatar Grand Prix both raise eyebrows. Fans are anxiously awaiting the charismatic driver's return to the Formula 1 grid and his unshakable passion for the sport ensures a thrilling season.
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