“It wouldn’t have been the right thing to do”: Despite Daniel Ricciardo snub, Liam Lawson reckons his F1 future remains unhinged

Daniel Ricciardo replaced ex-AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries despite rumors swirling that RedBull junior Liam Lawson was one of the candidates for a possible replacement.

Despite the fact that Scuderia AlphaTauri dropped Nyck de Vries midway through the 2023 season, Liam Lawson believes the timing of his F1 debut was not right.

Lawson is a reserve driver for the team and he is often seen in the AlphaTauri pit wall or the garage during the race weekends.

"To jump in mid-season would be extremely difficult," Lawson said (via Speedcafe)

He continued:

"Having someone who’s not been around before would be not so beneficial to them; I’d be learning double-time to try and catch up to somebody else. So for me, it wouldn’t have been the right thing to do, so it doesn’t change anything for me."

Lawson added that his main goal for now is to focus in Super Formula and try to pick up some wins under his name, then secure a seat in Formula 1 with the team.

If Daniel Ricciardo performs well in AlphaTauri this season, he might be able to extend his contract with the team for next year. But if he doesn't live up to the expectations of Helmut Marko, there is a good chance that Ricciardo might be replaced by Liam Lawson. Until then, Lawson will be focusing on his Super Formula career.

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Daniel Ricciardo is not aiming for the second Red Bull seat

Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed speculation of a possible transition to Red Bull alongside Sergio Perez in 2023, stressing that he is "very happy" to support the team's key drivers.

F1 Grand Prix of Belgium

"I think really for me my mindset is to really try and help the team," Ricciardo said to Sky Sports News.

Daniel Ricciardo was the main Red Bull driver until his sudden switch to Renault in 2019. He drove for the French team for two years before switching to McLaren and winning in Monza.