📰 Australian fans urged to embrace Liam Lawson for season opener

Australian Formula One fans have been urged to get behind Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at this Sunday’s Melbourne Grand Prix and “learn to forgive him” after he usurped a home favourite last season.

Lawson replaced Australian Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls for the final six races of the 2024 season, becoming the first New Zealander to secure a fulltime seat in Formula One since Brendon Hartley in 2018.

Lawson’s star has continued to rise while Ricciardo’s future in the sport appears bleak.

Lawson won the seat to partner Formula One world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull while Ricciardo has been left without a drive.

Daily Telegraph journalist Julian Linden says Lawson deserves the support of home fans in Melbourne over the weekend, the opening race of the Formula One season.

“Liam Lawson is one of the rarest kinds of New Zealanders — he is a Kiwi that Australian motor racing fans could embrace as one of their own – just as long as they can learn to forgive him," Linden writes.

“A rags to riches self-starter with plenty of old-fashioned mongrel in him — including giving rivals the bird when he overtakes them on the circuit — Lawson is a throwback to the greatest Kiwi drivers of all time — including Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Chris Amon.

“Aussies and Kiwis have always been best mates on the track over the years, but through no fault of his own, Lawson has been cast as a villain to Aussie rev-heads after playing a part in bringing Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula One career to a screeching halt.”

Linden points out Lawson has earned his spot in the grid and doesn’t come from a wealthy background like many of his rivals, noting his parents sold their house to help support his career.

“Ricciardo’s loyal fans were right to be disappointed but were wrong to blame Lawson because he’s the closest thing to having another Aussie on the grid and looks set to become one of the most popular drivers in the sport because he’s cut from the same cloth as many of our own.

“Unlike some F1 drivers, Lawson earned his way to the top the hard way because he wasn’t born into wealth and his family had to make huge personal sacrifices to help him.”

Linden adds the fact Lawson flipped the bird at fellow driver Sergio Perez gives even more reason for Aussies to back him.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission