Kiwi to make F1 debut after teammate's practice crash

By Christopher Reive

Kiwi Liam Lawson will make his Formula One race debut this weekend with AlphaTauri after Daniel Ricciardo was injured in a crash during a practice session ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

A statement from AlphaTauri confirmed Ricciardo had suffered a broken left hand in the crash and would not be able to drive for the remainder of the weekend, with Lawson getting the call-up for the drive at Zandvoort as the reserve driver for both AlphaTauri and Red Bull Racing.

“After today’s incident during Free Practice 2 in Zandvoort, in which Daniel Ricciardo hit the barrier at Turn 3, he was brought to the local hospital and further examinations were carried out,” AlphaTauri revealed in a statement.

“An X-ray confirmed he sustained a break to a metacarpal on his left hand, and this injury will not allow him to continue his duties, so he will be replaced by the team’s reserve driver Liam Lawson for the remainder of this weekend. The team wishes him all the best for the quickest possible recovery.”

Ricciardo followed Oscar Piastri – the man who replaced him at McLaren for the 2023 season – into the barriers at turn three in the early stages of FP2, putting him out of the session on the spot.

Replays showed Ricciardo was still holding the steering wheel when he impacted the wall, and the Australian was visibly in discomfort when he stepped out of the car.

It’s a major opportunity for Lawson as he continues his push for a Formula One seat in the 2024 season, and a good performance this weekend could go a long way in proving he is ready for a full-time role.

Lawson was overlooked for the seat which ultimately became Ricciardo’s with AlphaTauri due to his inexperience, with the team employing Nyck de Vries instead. De Vries was replaced halfway through the season due to poor performances.

Lawson was instead moved from Formula Two into Japanese Super Formula, where he has excelled. With just two races left of the Super Formula season, Lawson sits second in the standings and well in contention to win a championship.

However, the 21-year-old has been clear that his intentions lay elsewhere throughout the season. Earlier in the year, he told the Herald he felt ready for the Formula One now.

“I’ve sort of felt ready for Formula One for over a year,” Lawson said.

“I had the opportunity to test last year and that was really beneficial for me. It makes me even more hungry to make it there.

“I feel [ready] at any point, and doing this series is going to keep me really sharp and ready to get in one of those [F1] cars at any time.”

Last year, Lawson made his F1 weekend debut with AlphaTauri during FP1 for the Belgian Grand Prix, before a second appearance for the team in Mexico and then an outing with Red Bull in Abu Dhabi.

He will be the 10th Kiwi to contest a Grand Prix and the most recent since Brendon Hartley raced for Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) in 2017 and 2018.

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