Liam Lawson learned he’d be driving at F1 Qatar GP via surprise Daniel Ricciardo FaceTime call
The 21-year-old New Zealander will once again stand in for Ricciardo at AlphaTauri this weekend as the latter continues to recover from breaking his left hand at the Dutch Grand Prix in A🎀ugust.
Lawson, who has replaced Ricciardo at Zandvoort, Monza, Singapore and Suzuka so far, revealed he found out he would be in t𒁏he car again directly from the Australian.
Red Bull’s reserve driver got a FaceTime call from a number he didn’t recognise at lunchtime on Monday - and it t🐲urned out to be Ricciardo.
“On Monday, so I was▨ sitting at lunch and I had a random numb🌠er call me and it was a FaceTime,” Lawson explained on Thursday in Qatar.
“I was really co🧸nfused because people don't just FaceTime randomly, so I answered it and it was just Daniel's face.
“And he basically said that he thought he would let m💞e have another week✤end.
“O🎉bviously it’s good to be back and good to be 🧸in the car this weekend. It’s a very different circuit, but I'm excited.”
Laws𒀰on added: “After Japan I guess it was looking more likely that we'd be driving so we just carried on preparing like 💧normal.
“I didn't assume I was driving but we just prepped l🌸ike like a normal situation like I would be.
“Obvi♎ously I want to be here full time but just trying to make the most of this.”
Asked if Ricciardo had given him any indication whether he will return to the cockpit for the United States Grand Prix in A🦹ustin on October 20-22, Lawson replied: “I think that's definitelꦏy the target.
“I would say it's more likely that he would be back in Austin, but obviously I can't sa𓃲y for certain.
“Obviously we have over a week t꧑o to give more ti𝐆me to be ready for it. So I would say it's probably Austin.”
With Ricciardo already confirmed at AlphaTauri for 2024, alongside168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Yuki Tsunoda, Lawson is set fo🐈r another year on the sidelines in his reserve role.
There has been talk that Lawson could be loaned to Williams as a replacement for168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Logan Sargeant, but that scenario has been downpl🌊ayed by both parties.
Asked if there💜 is a hypothetical chance thaꦓt he could be loaned to a non-Red Bull team for next season, Lawson said: “I don’t know, honestly.”
Lewis regularl🅰y attends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
