Liam Lawson found out about racing in Qatar via an unknown number which eventually turned out to be Daniel Ricciardo

Liam Lawson has explained that Daniel Ricciardo FaceTimed him to inform him that he would be driving in the AlphaTauri for the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

Ricciardo has been out of the seat that he filled mid-season since injuring his hand during the free practice session of the Dutch GP. Lawson replaced him as the reserve driver of the team.

Though Ricciardo was expected to return to racing in Singapore, his condition did not warrant it. It was earlier reported that he tried to return to the simulator, but his performance wasn't at 100%. Hence, Liam Lawson will be staying with AlphaTauri for yet another race weekend.

To give Lawson that information, Daniel Ricciardo randomly called him while the former was at lunch. Lawson outlined the incident during the press conference in Qatar, saying:

"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… I answered it, and it was just Daniel’s face. He basically said that he thought he would let me have another weekend."

Lawson further stated that he finds the track relatively difficult, but is excited to be in the car once more:

"Obviously good to be back, good to be in the car this weekend, a very different circuit, but I'm excited."

This will notably be the second Qatar Grand Prix on the circuit since the inaugural race in 2021. The race didn't take place in 2022 as Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup last winter.

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Qatar might be the final race weekend in F1 for Liam Lawson this season

Liam Lawson is only in F1 as a reserve driver, serving his duties for both AlphaTauri and Red Bull. He had expectations of getting into the team in the 2024 season as a permanent driver, but those spots have been taken by Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda.

The Qatar GP might be the final race for thim this season as many expect Ricciardo to mark his return in the next race in the United States.

When Lawson was asked about this, he said:

"I would say it's more likely that he will be back in Austin, but obviously I can’t say for certain.

"But obviously we have over a week to give more time for him to be ready for it. So, I would say it’s probably Austin."