Lawson: I really learned a lot

Liam Lawson’s debut in Formula 1 proved to be a real struggle. Replacing the injured Daniel Ricciardo on Saturday, the New Zealander struggled through qualifying on a drying track after a single rain session before heading out to race in difficult conditions. After the finish, Liam summed up the weekend.

Liam Lawson: “Track conditions were constantly changing. It started to rain at the start, initially the sensations were not the most positive, but during the race I learned a lot.

In the first part we lost a lot of time due to a hitch at the pit stop, then I got a penalty. But that’s also part of the race. But when the track dried up I felt much more confident on Soft slicks, and after switching to intermediate rubber everything was fine.

I’m glad I was able to finish. After a race you always look back and reflect. There are times when I should have acted better, but overall I’m pretty happy.

When I was battling Leclerc it was clear that his car was damaged and difficult to control but every time I overtook him he immediately regained his position on the straight which was a bit frustrating but it was helpful to have such a’ to gain an experience.

It was an incredibly educational weekend, I’ve been in the race in many different situations: with different pit stops, wheel-to-wheel battles, in the rain, in dry weather, I really learned a lot.”