Liam Lawson recalls debut 'fear' on Dutch GP return

Liam Lawson has recalled the "fear" he experienced during his unexpected 2023 Formula 1 debut at Zandvoort.

This weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix marks Lawson’s first return to the circuit since he stood in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo from third practice onwards two years ago.

A crash for Ricciardo during second practice ruled him out of several Grands Prix after he sustained a serious hand injury, resulting in a temporary promotion for Lawson at Red Bull’s sister team.

Lawson was thrown into the deep end but performed valiantly, finishing a mixed-conditions race in 13th after qualifying last.

It was a chaotic Dutch GP, with all drivers starting on slicks despite heavy rain at the start of the race, before a second downpour hit the circuit in the closing stages.

For a driver in Lawson’s position, it was the worst possible scenario, making it a debut he remembers for the intense stress he felt.

Asked by select media including RacingNews365 if he had fond memories of his 2023 debut, Lawson said: "It's funny, because I don't think it's good memories, because my memories of that weekend, most of them were just fear and pressure. 

"And yeah, it was just a very tough weekend. I think I was very relieved to get through it, and I learned a lot from it going into the next few races that I had, but it wasn't a fun weekend."

Lawson debut about 'survival'

Given the varied weather conditions, there was little for the New Zealander to enjoy on his F1 debut, as even experienced drivers slid off when torrential rainfall hit the circuit.

It was the ultimate debut challenge for the Racing Bulls driver, who was simply relieved to get through it unscathed.

Pushed on if he enjoyed anything from his debut, Lawson added: "Honestly, I didn't. It was so chaotic. Qualifying was very tricky. The race was even trickier.

"So it was very much survival, trying to learn everything I could. I remember, there was probably 20 laps [in the race] that it dried up, and I got into a rhythm, and I enjoyed that.

"And then it rained again, and it was red flagged, and so it wasn't a super enjoyable experience."