Liam Lawson: I gave it everything during the race

The Singapore Grand Prix was only the third Formula 1 race of Liam Lawson’s career, but the young New Zealander handled a difficult task admirably to finish 9th, earning AlphaTauri points.

His teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, retired on the first lap of the race – his car was seriously damaged when it collided with Sergio Perez’s Red Bull in the starting chaos.

Liam Lawson (9th): “I’m quite tired. The race was long and hot, and even though we didn’t have enough speed to fight the guys in front of us, I still think we got the best possible result.

There were enough difficulties, including I had to learn to start better, because for the second race in a row I lost two positions at the start, and this made my life difficult, because it is difficult to overtake on this track.

Yesterday we did a fantastic job, which allowed us to qualify for the final qualifying, but when you lose two positions at the start, it is unpleasant. But as the race went on, I gave it my all.

I’ve been waiting a long time for the opportunity to make my debut in Formula 1 and I finally got it, so I’m trying to take full advantage of it. After every race I speak to Helmut Marko and I have no doubt that we will have another conversation after this Grand Prix. At the same time, I understand that my main task is to achieve the best possible results in this short period of time, when I play for AlphaTauri.

To be honest, I can’t say anything about next year yet. Getting a contract as a main driver in a Formula 1 team is very difficult, but I believe that now you should not think about all kinds of external factors, but just concentrate on your work and show in every session what I am in is up to.”

Yuki Tsunoda (meeting): “First of all I would like to congratulate Liam, who earned points, especially as it was his first Formula 1 race in Singapore, and he did well.

If we talk about me, I am very upset – it seems that for the second race in a row we cannot avoid problems, although the team has prepared a whole series of technical innovations for this Grand Prix.

I had a good start, but on the first lap there was a collision with Sergio Perez’s car and my AT04 had a damaged sidepod and damage to the radiator and cooling system. So I had to get out, and it was very disturbing.

I feel sorry for the team because we certainly had a chance to earn points. But I will try to adapt quickly, and in Suzuka we will return to the fight stronger.”