Why Drive to Survive will ‘have a field day’ with Liam Lawson after key US Grand Prix moment

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Liam Lawson made a spectacular return to Formula 1 action with RB at the United States Grand Prix. He fought his way to ninth in Sunday’s race despite starting at the back of the field.

After promoting Lawson at the expense of Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull lowered their expectations. He would only have 60 minutes of practice before his first race of 2024 due to the Sprint format, and he was also carrying multiple engine penalties.

There were signs in Saturday’s Sprint that he may need time to show his best form as he came home 15th, six spots below Yuki Tsunoda, after an SQ1 exit. But his performance thereafter was outstanding.

Lawson ‘sent a message’ to Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, the two figures who will judge his audition for a Red Bull seat, by setting the third-fastest time in Q1. He didn’t meaningfully participate in Q2 with a back-of-the-grid start looming, instead only aiding Tsunoda with a slipstream.

Lining up 19th, he started on the hard tyres to run longer than his midfield rivals. He made great progress early on, gaining five positions by lap three (with the aid of a Lewis Hamilton DNF) and also overtook Fernando Alonso on lap 14.

He pitted with just under 20 laps to go and re-emerged 12th before utilising his fresh mediums to score four points. The New Zealander has already scored a third of Ricciardo’s total 2024 points tally.

Marc Priestley says Netflix will love what he saw Liam Lawson do at US Grand Prix

Another big story on Lawson’s comeback weekend was his ill-tempered duel with Alonso. The two-time world champion called him an ‘idiot’ for his wheel-to-wheel conduct in the Sprint.

Lawson felt he did nothing wrong, and the stewards agreed. But that didn’t stop the Spaniard confronting him in parc ferme.

Alonso tried to exact revenge in qualifying by overtaking the 22-year-old and compromising his out-lap. This was futile because he wasn’t planning to set a time on that run regardless.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s F1: Chequered Flag podcast, Marc Priestley said Netflix would have relished the exchange. They’re currently filming for the upcoming season of Drive to Survive.

“He’s also sparked a rivalry with Fernando Alonso straight away,” lead commentator Harry Benjamin said. “Those two are not best friends right now!”

“Can you imagine the Netflix show’s going to have a field day with that, isn’t it?” Priestley replied. “That’s going to be a great one!”

Damon Hill sends disappointed message to Fernando Alonso over Liam Lawson comments

Lawson won’t want the spat with Alonso (albeit one-sided) to overshadow his performance. Fortunately, the Red Bull senior leadership was impressed.

Christian Horner says Lawson looked like a ‘veteran’ in Austin even though it was only his sixth start overall. He finished just two spots behind Sergio Perez as he looks to take his seat.

Meanwhile, Helmut Marko called Lawson ‘a man for the future’. It remains to be seen whether he’s referring to 2025 or looking further ahead.

That moniker certainly can’t be applied to Alonso, who’s almost certainly signed his final F1 contract at 43. Damon Hill was disappointed in Alonso, telling him he’s ‘bigger than that’ after his public dig at Lawson.