Lawson struggles on debut in qualifying after replacing Ricciardo for the Dutch Grand Prix

Dutch Grand Prix

Lawson struggles on debut in qualifying after replacing Ricciardo for the Dutch Grand Prix

The New Zealander, without much time to adapt to the car, has fallen in the first qualifying session

Luis Raya

Saturday 26 August 2023 15:29 Updated: 15:40

Liam Lawson failed to make it out of first qualifying in his his first Formula 1 qualifying session, finishing in 20th position in very challenging track conditions.

Just 24 hours after Daniel Ricciardo's accident that led to the Australian breaking his wrist, his replacement, the New Zealander, was hoping to impress his new team having only driven the car previously in FP3 at Zandvoort.

Lawson, who only had the opportunity to drive in FP3 with wet conditions, ended up last in Q1, more than a second behind the driver in front. Many drivers have had off-track excursions in challenging conditions that didn't made his debut any easier.

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The 21-year-old driver completed 26 laps in FP3 to familiarise himself with the car and the track, finishing in 18th position. The New Zealander had a spin in which he made contact with the barriers, causing a brief red flag, but he didn't experience any further incidents.

Lawson will replace for Ricciardo until he recovers

Lawson already stood out as a great driver in the lower categories

Liam Lawson has been chosen to replace Daniel Ricciardo until the Australian driver recovers from his broken wrist following the accident he suffered in the second Friday session.

It is expected that the "Honey Badger" will be sidelined for at least a month, making Lawson the one who will race for AlphaTauri in the meantime.

The New Zealander has been a reserve driver for the team since last season, during which he finished third in Formula 2. Other options like Nyck de Vries were discarded, making Lawson the most sensible choice.