Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has praised Liam Lawson’s efforts during his stand-in appearance at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
A wrist injury to Isack Hadjar saw Lawson’s return to the Milton Keynes outfit, with Yuki Tsunoda stepping into his spot at Racing Bulls.
Zandvoort marked his first race with the team since his demotion early last year, leaving the Kiwi eager to deliver a strong result under pressure.
Crucially for Lawson, delivering strong results is exactly what he did. Following a single practice session, he qualified and remained 11th during the Sprint race. However, his most impressive performances came in the Grand Prix format.
During qualifying, Lawson was a tenth away from his World Champion team-mate, Max Verstappen. A monumental result for the driver in his first weekend with the team. But his form continued through Sunday, as Lawson became the sole Red Bull remaining after Verstappen crashed heavily.
Despite not challenging the front runners, the 24-year-old maximised the potential of his RB22 to finish seventh.
Finishing behind both McLarens, Mercedes and Ferraris, Lawson appeared to be the ‘best of the rest’ in Zandvoort.
His performances did not go unnoticed by team principal, Mekies. The Frenchman commended Lawson on his performances across a challenging weekend.
“Liam has done a good job stepping into the car,” Mekies said.
“It’s never easy to step into a different team and different car for a race like that. And he’s done a good job.
“He was only one-tenth away from Max in [grand prix] qualifying. And [in the race] took the points that were available to him, pace-wise, with the seventh place.”
Despite a rocky start to his F1 career, Lawson continues to prove his talent this season. The 24-year-old currently sits ninth in the Drivers’ Standings, securing his position as the best driver outside the top four teams.
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