Pink Bull rookie Liam Lawson has revealed precisely why Aussie Daniel Ricciardo is without doubt one of the most beloved drivers to ever grace System 1.
Because the 2025 season prepares to roar to life this weekend on the Melbourne Grand Prix, all eyes are on the 23-year-old Kiwi as he makes his full-time debut with Pink Bull.
Lawson raced with AlphaTauri within the Netherlands final season because the stand-in for an injured Ricciardo, and scored his first factors within the following race in Singapore.
After a interval as reserve driver, he took over Ricciardo’s position on the Racing Bulls staff completely earlier than being elevated to a Pink Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Lawson says Ricciardo stays the one driver on the grid to congratulate him on his promotion.
‘I truly spoke to Daniel lots when it was occurring,’ Lawson advised GQ.
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson says that Daniel Ricciardo is the one driver to congratulate him on his elevation to being Max Verstappen’s teammate
Lawson says that Ricciardo’s honourable behaviour ‘says lots about him’
‘I’ll all the time have a lot respect for him. All through the entire ordeal, from when the rumours began to after they had been confirmed, he by no means mentioned a foul phrase about or in direction of me.
‘He by no means made it about me and him, as a result of on the finish of the day, it wasn’t our resolution.
‘It’s as much as the staff, and what they resolve to do. He was so good to me, by means of all of it.
‘Quick ahead to December, once I received the Pink Bull seat, and Daniel continues to be the one driver, previous or current, to ship me a message about it, congratulating me. It says lots about him as an individual.’
Lawson went on to clarify what a dog-eat-dog world it’s on the monitor.
‘It’s humorous, as a result of I’ve met a variety of guys that I appeared as much as as a child, like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso,’ Lawson says.
‘Whenever you’re youthful, they’re your heroes. Now, they’re my opponents. I imply, the primary time I met Alonso, he yelled at me.’
‘Perhaps he was having a foul day.’
Ricciardo has taken his foot off the gasoline since retiring from F1 racing
All eyes will likely be on Lawson as he tries to out-race his predecessor Sergio Pérez, who was axed by Pink Bull after a string of poor leads to 2024
One other younger driver trying to show himself this weekend in Melbourne is Australian rookie Jack Doohan.
He says he needs Ricciardo was nonetheless racing so there could possibly be three Aussies on the grid at Albert Park.
‘(Ricciardo and I) spoke fairly a bit on the finish of final yr,’ Doohan advised The West Australian.
‘I noticed him once I was out in LA earlier than heading to (Las) Vegas as properly; we caught up briefly there. However since I haven’t had a variety of communication lately.
‘He has been doing his factor, having fun with his post-F1 life. Not having to take care of every thing occurring because it usually could be for him.
‘It’s nice to have one other Aussie on the grid. It will have been superb with DR (Ricciardo) nonetheless right here (as properly), however a minimum of there are nonetheless two of us.
‘Oscar has been doing distinctive, particularly final yr, and the McLaren automobile was quick. Hopefully, we’re capable of problem him within the close to future and it’s nice to be on the grid with him.’
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How Daniel Ricciardo proved he’s the nicest star in System One with a heartwarming gesture for the game’s latest driver
