At the 2023 United States Grand Prix held at the iconic Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, all eyes were on Red Bull junior Liam Lawson as he continued his stand-in run for AlphaTauri. The talented New Zealander, thrust into the limelight following Daniel Ricciardo’s pre-race injury, had already impressed with mature drives and a points-scoring performance in Singapore. In Austin, however, his race was defined by misfortune and a key moment that dashed his hopes for another top ten finish.
Lawson, starting P17 after what he described as a challenging qualifying session in the ultra-competitive midfield pack, harboured realistic ambitions of climbing up the order. The team’s long-run pace on Friday looked promising, and with the Austin circuit favouring high tyre degradation strategies, AlphaTauri placed him on a plan that would maximize opportunities given the variable nature of race day in Texas. As the lights went out, Lawson executed a strong launch, avoiding trouble and making up ground in the opening laps.
However, the Grand Prix soon presented its notorious complexities. As pit strategies unfolded and midfield battles intensified, Lawson found himself in a critical position to capitalize, running close behind drivers vying for the final points-paying spots. Judging when to pit and how to navigate traffic at COTA is always a delicate balance, and it was on one crucial lap — when Lawson attempted to undercut a direct rival — that his fortunes took a turn for the worse.
Lawson’s pit stop, anticipated to vault him ahead and into the points contention, was unfortunately slowed by a sticky left-rear tyre. Those extra seconds lost in the pit lane not only dropped him behind virtual safety car windows but also left him stuck in slower-moving traffic — ultimately ruining his undercut attempt. What might have been a leap into the top ten transformed into a battle just to stay within the midfield, his fresh tyres offset by having to navigate the dirty air and turbulence of following cars.
His subsequent radio messages confirmed his frustration, but it’s to Lawson’s credit that he quickly re-focused and pushed hard in pursuit of a recovery. With measured aggression, he made several neat overtakes but ultimately lacked the raw pace to catch the points finishers, especially as the circuit’s notorious bumps and difficult rear tyre degradation became more pronounced in the closing laps. Had the pit stop gone to plan, AlphaTauri’s strategy team projected Lawson well within the reach of valuable championship points, a testament to both his pace and his growing synergy with the team.
Post-race, the young Kiwi was deeply analytical in his debrief, pinpointing the pit stop as the turning point of his afternoon. He acknowledged the reality of Formula 1’s razor-thin margins and how a fraction of a second at just the wrong time can be the difference between celebrating in parc ferme or reflecting on what might have been. Despite the disappointment, Lawson’s race in Austin provided another glimpse into his impressive adaptability and unwavering racing instinct — traits that have marked his brief F1 journey as one to watch for the future.
For AlphaTauri, the takeaway is clear: the foundations of a competitive car are there, but execution down to the tiniest details will determine whether they can claw their way up the Constructors’ Championship. Meanwhile, for fans tracking Liam Lawson’s progress, Austin was a race that reinforced both his promise and the cruel unpredictability that makes Formula 1 the ultimate motorsport spectacle. Looking forward, Lawson and AlphaTauri will be eager to convert hard-won experience into decisive results as the season reaches its dramatic crescendo. Magyar F1-szurkolók is érezhetik: ebben a srácban benne van a jövő — csak a csillagoknak kell jobb szögben állniuk.
