Liam Lawson: I’ve wanted to be in Formula 1 since I was three

Liam Lawson made his F1 debut with AlphaTauri on Saturday at Zandvoort, replacing the injured Daniel Ricciardo. In preparation for qualifying, the New Zealand rider only had one hour of training, which also took place on a wet track. As a result, Lawson showed lately in qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix.

His teammate Yuki Tsunoda qualified 14th, but loses three places at the start due to blocking Lewis Hamilton.

Yuki Tsunoda (14th): “Today the track conditions were tricky. As Liam only drove the car in third practice, he did very well on his first day. As far as I’m concerned, qualifying was disappointing because I didn’t manage to get all the ingredients together.

The team chose the right time to release me on the track in the second part, but I was able to work better myself and inform the team via radio about the change in track conditions. I think I was able to get to the final thanks to the pace of the car. I feel like I couldn’t get the most out of it, and this is very upsetting, because you always want to feel like you gave your best.

The track conditions turned out to be difficult, I often got into traffic, but everything was on an equal footing. But it was a good lesson for the future.

Tomorrow it will be difficult to overtake and the weather will turn again. We aim to earn points and will do everything we can to achieve this.”

Liam Lawson (20th): “First of all I want to say that I sympathize with Daniel in his situation. I don’t want things like this to happen, especially with someone as nice as him. I hope Daniel gets better soon.

If there is an opportunity to race in Formula 1 you have to grab it with both hands, so I am very happy for the opportunity. I feel a lot of emotions, because from the age of three I wanted to participate in Formula 1.

It was a hectic day with very difficult weather conditions. During training I tried the intermediate tires for the first time, and their behavior was different than I expected. However, I feel like I’ve accomplished something and learned how they behave.

During qualifying I felt comfortable and improved noticeably. Then it started to drizzle and I expected the grip on the asphalt to decrease, but to my surprise it remained high. There is no doubt that I have not been able to make the best of the situation. I am comfortable behind the wheel, but in such conditions it is difficult to learn this circuit.

Physically I am in good shape, but it is always more difficult to fly in the rain than on a dry track. I expect the race to get even tougher. The circuit in Zandvoort is difficult and bumpy in places. This requires confidence, which is difficult for me to acquire quickly.

If it is dry tomorrow, I can learn a lot. I have not driven this car on a completely dry track and have not done any long runs on slicks. I will persevere and try to learn a lot.”