The ‘easy’ decision F1 fans think Liam Lawson has given Christian Horner after the US Grand Prix

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Liam Lawson impressed on his debut with Visa CashApp RB after controversially replacing Daniel Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix.

The New Zealander wasted no time in making an impression after setting the third-fastest time in Q1 during qualifying, then ended up out-qualifying Yuki Tsunoda in the same car.

What was more impressive was how Liam Lawson came into the weekend knowing he inherited an engine penalty from Ricciardo and managed to recover in the race from the back of the grid.

He gained five spots on the opening lap to climb up to P14, then ended up picking off most of the cars in front of him including Fernando Alonso, who he ended up in a spat with the Aston Martin driver over his defensive moves in the Sprint race.

Lawson then managed to overcut Tsunoda by running longer in the race, enabling him to take home points and finish behind Nico Hulkenberg.

F1 fans have taken to social media to give their verdict on his performance and discuss whether it means Red Bull should take him on full-time beyond 2024.

F1 fans believe Liam Lawson ‘belongs’ in second Red Bull seat

Even though he outclassed Tsunoda, what was even more remarkable about Lawson’s performance was the fact that he finished just 11 seconds away from Sergio Perez in the sister Red Bull.

Perez had been struggling for most of the weekend, despite Red Bull bringing upgrades to their floor which significantly helped them.

Fans took to social media to praise Lawson’s performance, with some believing that it should be enough to earn him a promotion alongside Max Verstappen next season.

Speaking on Instagram, user ‘bl8in3’ said “Liam is showing Horner that he belongs in the second Red Bull seat.”

Others praised him for his performance against Tsunoda: “Liam absolutely destroyed Yuki! Faster than Yuki on 31-lap old hard tyres. Easy decision for Red Bull who to promote.”

Driver of the Day ended up going to winner Charles Leclerc, but one user feels the New Zealander should have received it: “Lawson should have been driver of the day.”

Liam Lawson shares ‘key’ to earning 2025 F1 race seat after ‘strong’ US Grand Prix

Lawson has stated that his goal in the next five races will be to score points on every occasion, with his eyes firmly set on driving for the senior team.

It is an important opportunity for him to showcase that he has what it takes to match Max Verstappen, given that Red Bull’s second place in the Constructors’ Championship now looks under threat from Ferrari.

READ MORE: Who is Visa Cash App RB driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Perez must improve his results in the next two races and finish more regularly behind Verstappen, as his lacklustre form is costing them.

Martin Brundle believes Lawson deserves the seat at Red Bull next season, after watching him duel with Alonso throughout the weekend.