Lawson: Feisty battles with Alonso, Perez not about 'proving point'
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Red Bull's Liam Lawson insists his aggressive wheel-to-wheel battles – and subsequent clashes – at the end of last season with Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez were not about "proving a point".
Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Visa Cash App RB ahead of the last two triple-headers of the 2024 season, as Red Bull was keen to evaluate the Kiwi with a view to promoting him to the main team – and eventually did so.
Upon his return to the grid at The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Lawson immediately deployed his aggression out on the track, much to Alonso's fury after the pair clashed in the weekend's sprint event.
A week later in Mexico City, it was Perez who found himself on the receiving end of Lawson's uncompromising racing, the local hero telling the media after the race that Lawson needed to be "more humble" out on the track.
Lawson Says He Races Everyone the Same Way
Speaking at the end of last season, Lawson dismissed the notion that his fierce racing was a deliberate attempt to set himself apart.
"It's not like… I'm not trying to set an example or anything like that," he told Motorsport.com. "I feel like I'm racing everybody the same way, I'm not racing anybody any differently.
"I have a very short window here at the moment, so it's very important [to prove myself], but I'm not trying to set an example, or set, like, a – I don't know what the word is… prove a point? I'm not really trying to do that, no."
Lawson's aggressive defense against Alonso in Austin earned him ninth place in his first race back in F1 since his 2023 debut. Reflecting on that result, he admitted to feeling relief after delivering in such a high-pressure situation.
"There's a bit of relief with that," he said. "Obviously we all have self-belief, we all believe in our ability, but when you haven't driven for a long time, it's hard to know exactly where you're going to be.
"As much as you expect or you want to deliver, you just don't know until you're driving the car. It was good to start like that, and obviously from there it gave me good confidence going forward."
©RedBull
Despite some mistakes during his brief return, Lawson viewed the experience as a valuable learning opportunity.
"A couple of strong races and a couple of not strong races," he summarized, vowing to build on the lessons learned.
Monaghan on Lawson's Potential
Lawson's hard approach on track could serve him well in the upcoming season, as he prepares to face the unique challenge of partnering with Max Verstappen – a driver who has often eaten alive those who share a garage with him.
If Lawson can maintain the same grit and determination that marked his performances last year, Verstappen might find himself paired with a teammate who won't back down easily.
Such a dynamic could add an exciting new dimension to Red Bull Racing's campaign.
However, standing up to a reigning world champion is no small task.
Red Bull's long-serving chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, discussed this delicate balance during an appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast, stressing the importance of focus and resilience for any driver aiming to compete with an elite teammate.
"If [a driver] is constantly worrying about a comparison with a team-mate or what their team-mate is doing, and they fail to get the best out of themselves and their car with their engineers, then yes, it's been a detriment," Monaghan said.
He went on to emphasize the relentless drive that defines champions like Verstappen and Alonso.
"What you must be prepared for is… it's true of, in my opinion, of both Max and Fernando [Alonso] in this relentless pursuit of the best they can be. That is, every day, every session, every lap – even if you lose one session, they're back the next one, and they are on it.
"That comes back to the inner strength of the team-mate, he has to get out of himself his best. And then, has to stand the judgment."
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