“It’s what I’m here to do” - Liam Lawson doing exactly as planned after bagging points finish on his F1 return

Liam Lawson emphasized the importance of scoring points in his first race of 2024 for his prospects in Formula 1. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, after the US Grand Prix, the VCARB driver acknowledged that the upcoming five race weekends will be crucial in determining his future in the sport.

Starting from 19th on the grid due to an engine penalty, Lawson showcased an impressive performance, surging through the field to finish in ninth place and earn his first points of the season. This result is significant as it came during his maiden race of 2024, following his last appearance at the Qatar GP in 2023.

Lawson is determined to use the next few races to solidify his position and make a strong case for retaining a seat in Formula 1 next year.

Asked by Sportskeeda how important it was to get a solid result on his debut race weekend, Lawson said:

“Obviously it's definitely important. Obviously it's also what I'm here to do. Obviously I’ve got a goal of staying in the Formula 1. I know these races are very important and it's doing exactly what I'm what I'm here to do. We have five more very important races as well to focus on.”

He added:

“It was definitely tricky, but the car was working well and when you have a car that's doing exactly what you want it to do. It puts you in a good window. For me, I've also been preparing pretty hard for this for the last 12 months. I knew that at some point the opportunity should come, so training -wise we've been working very hard and have been ready for it.”

Despite being confirmed for the remaining races of the 2024 season, his contract for 2025 remains uncertain.

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Liam Lawson feels that the hard tire compound helped him surge up the grid

Liam Lawson credited the hard tire compound for helping him surge through the pack in the opening laps of the 2024 US Grand Prix. Starting from 19th on the grid, Lawson felt that his decision to run a long stint on the hard tire from the beginning of the race worked in his favor, allowing him to gain positions early on. He noted that the combination of a well-timed safety car and an overcut strategy further boosted his performance, enabling him to finish in ninth place and score his first points of the season.

Lawson wasn’t the only driver to benefit from this tire strategy. Franco Colapinto, who also started on the hard compound, completed 39 laps on the tire and similarly gained an advantage in the race. Both drivers capitalized on their tire choices, managing to extend their stints effectively and execute strong strategies.

Commenting on the race and its result, Liam Lawson said:

“Yeah, first that was good. It was obviously carnage at turn one. And I was just in a good place, managed to get around it. And then from there, just settled in, and the hard tire worked really, really well for us. So, yeah, big step with the car from yesterday, which is really positive. It's hard to do that in a weekend. From where you start, it's hard to really make a big step like that and I think we did that because of how hard the guys worked on the car, so I'm very happy.”

Asked how he plans to approach the next five race weekends on tracks he hasn’t driven, Lawson replied:

“Yeah, there’s obviously quite a few tracks that I haven't done before that are going to be tricky, very challenging, physically challenging tracks as well, sprint weekends like this. So it's going to be challenging. I think this weekend was potentially the hardest, so to get it out of the way and being in a comfortable place with the car is important.”

Lawson’s ninth-place finish at the 2024 US Grand Prix added one point to VCARB’s tally, bringing their total to 36 points. Despite this contribution, the Faenza-based team now finds itself in a tighter battle with Haas in the constructors’ championship.

Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen helped the team score three points in the sprint race on Saturday, Haas moved ahead of VCARB by a slim margin of two points. VCARB, now sitting in seventh place, faces pressure as Haas currently holds sixth place in the standings with 38 points. The fight between the two teams is expected to intensify as the season progresses.