Why Liam Lawson was surprised in US Grand Prix battle with Fernando Alonso after Sprint Race anger

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Visa Cash App RB driver Liam Lawson had a weekend to remember on his return to Formula 1.

Every point is critical for the F1 teams in the midfield, and Liam Lawson immediately contributed to RB’s tally during Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.

After a tricky Sprint Race where he was up against some of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history after just a single one-hour practice session and a truncated qualifying, Lawson then showed his true potential in Sunday’s race.

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

While he wasn’t in contention for a top-eight finish in the Sprint Race, Lawson had a fascinating battle with Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso.

Alonso wasn’t happy with Lawson in parc ferme after they came close to touching when battling on the track.

Lawson was the subject of Alonso’s radio messages after the session as well, highlighting how angry the frustrated two-time world champion was.

However, only one driver out of the pair came away from Austin with points to their name and speaking during F1’s Post-Race Show, Lawson provided more details about their fight.

The young Kiwi admitted that when he came across Alonso again during Sunday’s race, his conduct on the track surprised him.

He made light work of the struggling Aston Martin on his way to a fantastic ninth-place finish.

Why Liam Lawson was surprised by Fernando Alonso during the US Grand Prix

Speaking about his battle across the weekend with Alonso, Lawson said: “Well, I haven’t spoken to him since the last conversation I had with him.

“Obviously, it’s racing, we’re in the heat of the moment. It was a tough fight.

“I didn’t think I did anything wrong, I thought it was hard racing obviously and today I expected him to put up more of a fight but he was nice, he let me go.

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“He’s somebody that has a huge amount of experience and somebody that for me I can learn a lot from.

“He’s somebody that I watched as a kid growing up and so I have a huge amount of respect for him regardless of what happened yesterday.”

Helmut Marko and Christian Horner already impressed with Liam Lawson

Lawson has two people he needs to impress if his F1 career is going to continue beyond the end of the 2024 season.

However, they’re not technically connected to RB with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko the keys to his future in the sport.

Horner and Marko decided that it was time for Lawson to take Daniel Ricciardo’s seat and would feel vindicated in their decision already.

Marko was very impressed with Lawson after the race, claiming the 22-year-old is a ‘man for the future’ for the Red Bull group.

Those thoughts were echoed by Horner who called Lawson a ‘veteran’ as part of his praise for the youngster.

All eyes are now on how Lawson performs without a 60-place grid penalty to see how he compares with teammate Yuki Tsunoda when they’re on a level playing field.