The grin is gone from the Formula 1 grid. In its place is a Kiwi looking to make the most of another chance to impress.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko believes New Zealand star Liam Lawson “did a very good job” upon his return to competitive F1 action in sprint qualifying at the United States Grand Prix. Red Bull junior team VCARB announced last month that Hastings-born Lawson will contest the final six races of the F1 2024 season having replaced Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo following the Singapore GP.

Liam Lawson says thinking about auditioning for a Red Bull seat in 2025 is "very far" from his focus, which is simply on meeting the performance criteria set by RB on his Formula 1 return. The New Zealander will return to an F1 seat in Austin after Daniel Ricciardo was let go by RB following the Singapore Grand Prix,