Liam Lawson has shed light on advice he’s received from Daniel Ricciardo before making his Canadian Grand Prix debut in Formula 1 this weekend.
Despite how Ricciardo’s F1 career petered out after his move to McLaren in 2021, the Honey Badger was once considered a prospective World Champion.
The Australian burst onto the scene in 2014 with Red Bull and picked up his maiden victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, making the first of his eight wins in F1.
The 35-year-old boasted a respectable record around the 2.7-mile-long temporary street circuit with seven top 10 results and two podiums to his name.
Going into his very first Grand Prix weekend at the track, Lawson revealed that he spoke with Ricciardo to seek his words of wisdom on how to tackle the challenge posed by the circuit.
“I actually spoke to Daniel last week about this track and he loved it,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
The circuit’s layout and narrow but bumpy profile pose a “unique” challenge for the drivers, according to the New Zealander.
However, he hopes to exploit Ricciardo’s advice, whom he replaced last year at the team after the Singapore Grand Prix, to help him exploit the potential of the VCARB 02.
“Use lots of kerb. That’s probably the main one,” he revealed when asked what tips Ricciardo had given him.
“It’s a track where as drivers… It’s a bit unique compared to most tracks that we drive on.
“It can be quite bumpy, and obviously there is a lot of kerb use around it. So, yeah, I think it’s unique, it’s something that we all enjoy, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Lawson cautiously optimistic about Canada prospects
Lawson’s first full-time season in the sport has not panned out as he would have liked, beginning with a demotion from Red Bull after a disastrous run in the first two races.
That said, Ricciardo scored his best result with the sister squad in Canada in 2024 after qualifying fifth and taking the chequered flag in eighth place.
Lawson will be hoping for a similar turnout for himself this weekend, but he isn’t banking on the team’s past form at the track.
“It’s good to know that the car was fast last year, but at the same time, it’s quite often now that we look at last year’s results and, to be honest, they don’t repeat themselves a lot of the time,” he asserted.
“Tracks that maybe we haven’t been strong at, we’ve actually been strong at this year, and vice versa.
“I think we just have to take it like any weekend. For me personally, it’s a track that I’m very excited for. It’s an iconic place. It looks like a fun track.”
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