Life can’t always be easy and that can be said for Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson’s comeback to the pinnacle of Motorsport.
He will almost certainly start from near the back of the grid thanks to a 10-place grid penalty due to inheriting Daniel Ricciardo’s penalty for exceeding the season’s engine allocation.
The positive side however is that the penalty sticks with the car and not the driver so it applies to the sprint race at Austin, on Sunday morning, not the US Grand Prix a day later.
Unfortunately, the grid penalty means Lawson will need to qualify at least 8th or higher to avoid starting from the back on the grid, this will prove to be a tough task as he’s on an unfamiliar track in a car he’s never driven.
This weekend’s sprint event will be Lawson’s first competitive race since way back on October 29 in the final race of the 2023 Super Formula championship. That’s just nine days short of a full year without an actual race.
Photo Credit: PlanetF1
