David Coulthard explains why Liam Lawson deserved a ‘badge of honour’ after the US Grand Prix

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Liam Lawson showed Red Bull what he is capable of as he came home to score points on his return to Formula 1 in Austin.

The Kiwi driver finished the race in ninth having started at the back of the grid. Lawson was hit with a staggering 60-place grid penalty after multiple engine component changes.

But that did not deter the young talent from making his way through the field as he guided his RB to score two points on his sixth Grand Prix start and his first since replacing Daniel Ricciardo.

Red Bull want Lawson to match teammate Yuki Tsunoda as they assess him for a full-time seat. The Kiwi driver went above that in Austin as Tsunoda finished down in 14th and a lap down while Lawson brought home valuable points in their battle against Haas.

Lawson’s return to F1 did not come without its frustrations, as he finished down in 15th in the Sprint race. The Kiwi driver was eliminated from SQ1 after having just one hour of practice.

In the Sprint race, Lawson made himself an enemy in the form of two-time champion Fernando Alonso, as he battled with the Spaniard during the event at turn 12, getting his way through and shutting the door at turn 13.

Liam Lawson’s conflict with Fernando Alonso in Austin earned him a ‘badge of honour’

The move led to Esteban Ocon overtaking both of them, leaving the Aston Martin driver furious. Alonso confronted Lawson in parc ferme and in qualifying tried to exact revenge as he deliberately overtook the RB coming out of the pits.

This move from Alonso would prove to be pointless as RB ended up bringing the Kiwi driver back to the pits anyway. Lawson was left surprised by Alonso’s comments as he believed he did nothing wrong.

Speaking on the Formula For Success Podcast, David Coulthard thinks Lawson should see this as a compliment and a ‘badge of honour’ that he clashed with Alonso.

“Liam Lawson, brilliant,” he said. “Back of the grid, picking up points, exactly what the team would have wanted. I think Daniel Ricciardo scored points a couple of races so far in the season, so everything was in place to justify the removal of Daniel, putting Liam in the car.

“He had a bit of an elbows-out moment with Fernando Alonso. where Fernando apparently was quoted as saying: ‘it’s his career at stake, not mine.’

“And Liam also mentioned that Fernando had told him that he would ‘screw him’ after the incident they had together in the Sprint race.

“So, I would take that as a sort of badge of honour compliment that somebody as experienced and feisty as Fernando is feeling that he needs to chastise him.”

Liam Lawson is in the conversation for the Red Bull seat

Lawson left his engineers lost for words in Austin as he demonstrated his ability behind the wheel. The 22-year-old is not only in consideration for a seat at RB, but also at the main Red Bull team.

Sergio Perez is under increasing pressure to keep his seat at Red Bull come the 2025 season. as he has been considerably outperformed by Max Verstappen. The Mexican is eighth in the standings and has not finished in the top five since Miami.

Perez needs a ‘big result’ to fend off Lawson and keep his seat, but given his current form, it seems difficult to imagine the 35-year-old getting back on the podium at the expense of the McLarens, Ferraris, Mercedes or his teammate.

Tom Clarkson is convinced Lawson will be at Red Bull if he can continue to perform as he did at the United States Grand Prix. With five races to go in 2024, the pressure is on both drivers to prove their worth.