27 October 2023 , 09:12
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Liam Lawson has admitted he can "make sense" of Red Bull's decision to deny him a seat in Formula 1.
Lawson was handed a place on the grid by AlphaTauri, Red Bull's sister team, after Daniel Ricciardo suffered a broken hand ahead of August's Dutch Grand Prix. The 21-year-old took part in five races before Ricciardo recovered from injury to regain his seat.
Lawson did well during his time on the grid, finishing in the points at September's Singapore Grand Prix. That is something Ricciardo is yet to achieve this season... and something Nyck de Vries failed to do before he was dropped by Red Bull in July.
Yet Red Bull aren't willing to give Lawson a seat just yet. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will continue racing for their primary team, while Ricciardo and AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda are both contracted until the end of 2024.
AlphaTauri will race under a different guise next season, although Red Bull are yet to confirm their name. Lawson's opportunity could arise when Perez, Ricciardo and Tsunoda are all out of contract in just over a year's time. He's willing to play the waiting game.
Pierre Gasly was allowed to leave AlphaTauri due to worries over his F1 future
Lawson, who will stay on as Red Bull's reserve driver, discussed his snub on the Beyond the Grid podcast. He said: "It is extremely frustrating but I have been able to sit there and go, 'I can understand at the time of this decision that this makes sense'.
"If I go back to De Vries last year, we were having a shocking F2 season at that point - we turned it around at the end but it was all too late. That's frustrating but at the time the decision was made, I could sit there and understand why because of how my season was.
Lawson impressed during his five-race spell in Formula 1 (Getty Images)Do you think Liam Lawson should've got a seat for 2024? Let us know in the comments below!
"This year as well, although I am having a much better season, you have the option midseason - in a team that's struggling quite a bit, at least with the car - somebody who has never been in F1 or somebody who is very experienced in F1 and has won races.
"So again, it is frustrating to take but I can sit there and go, 'I can make sense of this decision'. I would say it is frustrating not to be driving next year but I will continue to make the most of still being involved in F1."
Red Bull chief Christian Horner discussed Lawson's chances of getting a seat last month. He told Sky Sports: "I think Daniel, with his experience, his motivation to come back, I think he’ll add great leadership to that team, and I think (he’ll be) a great benchmark.
"Yuki has been making progress and I think having Daniel there as that benchmark, he’ll certainly learn from that. I think Liam, it’s only a matter of time before he gets his opportunity and full-time chance. I think to have the three of them there is very strong for the group."