Formula One: Liam Lawson in unfamiliar territory for Singapore Grand Prix

Liam Lawson will make his third Formula One start in Singapore this weekend, but it won’t be as familiar a situation as the young Kiwi would hope for.

While every opportunity for proper racing this season is a new experience for AlphaTauri’s Lawson, the Singapore street circuit takes that challenge to another level.

It’s a race Lawson has been around before, on the ground as the reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri last year. However, unlike the Dutch GP (Zandvoort) and the Italian GP (Monza) where Lawson had raced at during his Formula Two career, the Marina Bay Street Circuit is one Lawson has only raced on the simulator.

“I know this is a very tough race physically, and when you get thrown into F1 in this situation, even with all the training in the world, it’s still such a tough adjustment,” Lawson said of the weekend ahead. “It’s going to be extremely difficult, but we’ve been training for it and doing everything we can to prepare for that.

“Obviously, the biggest adjustment will be getting used to the track, as I’ve only driven it on the sim, and street circuits are probably the hardest to replicate. They take confidence, and when you’re new to the track, or even my situation being new to Formula One, having that confidence early in the weekend is pretty tricky. I’ll be aiming to build up as many laps as we can - a bit like Monza, to be honest.”

AlphaTauri driver Liam Lawson at the Formula One Italian Grand Prix. Photo / AP

Initially guaranteed to get two races with Red Bull’s sister team after Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand during a practice session at Zandvoort, Lawson impressed immediately and saw his stay extended for at least one more event. He navigated a wet and wild race at the Dutch GP for a 13th-placed finish – improving six places from his starting position on the grid and finishing ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda – before showing pace at Monza to finish 11th, a race in which he could have been in the points had AlphaTauri gotten his strategy right for the race.

Ricciardo will be on track in Singapore this week “for engineering purposes”; however, there has been no timeline given for his return to racing.

This week the team’s senior adviser Dr Helmut Marko suggested to Austrian outlet Servus TV they were expecting a six-week recovery period for Ricciardo following his surgery almost three weeks ago.

That would make him doubtful to return for the Japanese GP next weekend, while after the last round in Monza Red Bull boss Christian Horner cast doubt on whether the Australian would be ready to return for the Qatar GP on October 9.

However, it’s one race at a time for Lawson, who admitted there was still a lot he had to learn.

“I definitely felt more comfortable in Monza than in Zandvoort, even if there’s still a lot to learn. When you get more comfortable in these kinds of cars, it can make quite a big difference,” he explained.

“Having done two races now, I’m also getting a better understanding of the difference between the tyre compounds, which is so important. I’d say Monza was pretty successful, even if it was disappointing to finish so close to the points. I think if I had had a better start, perhaps things could have been different, but it’s something that I will learn from, and I’m just excited moving forward.”

There will be an added element of sentimentality for Lawson racing in Singapore this weekend, with his father travelling to watch him race.

It’s an event that holds a special place for Lawson, who recalled how much he enjoyed watching it as a child.

“When I was a kid, it was my favourite circuit,” he said. “I think because it was a night race and just looked really cool. I used to play it on the Formula One games all the time.

“My dad actually used to promise me every year that he would take me to the Singapore Grand Prix, and in the end, we never went, but he’s going to be coming to the Grand Prix this weekend, so actually I’m taking him.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.