Liam Lawson made a comeback in Formula 1 this weekend. With six Grands Prix left on the calendar, he is eager to prove himself to the Red Bull team management. However, during his first sprint race, he had an early encounter with Fernando Alonso. The Spanish veteran referred to him as an ‘idiot’ over the team radio and put him in his place during the qualifiers. The young New Zealander, however, doesn’t understand why.
Fernando Alonso was in a battle with Liam Lawson during the sprint race in Austin, but it wasn’t without issues. The aggressive driving style of the former reserve driver was not appreciated over the team radio. “That AlphaTauri is driving like an idiot,” Alonso exclaimed, unaware that the team had been renamed Visa RB this year. During the qualifiers, the two-time world champion retaliated by deliberately blocking Lawson.
“He (Alonso) said after the sprint that he was going to screw me over, and I think he kept his word,” Lawson told ESPN. “He was really angry, although I don’t quite understand why. We were racing for P16. I don’t know what bothered him so much. It is what it is. Hopefully, we can put this behind us quickly.”
“I understand that he had a terrible race, so I get why he’s angry,” Lawson continued. “But if I had really done something wrong, I would have received a penalty.” The chances of the two rivals encountering each other again during the main race are slim. Alonso will start from the eighth position on Sunday, while Lawson, due to a hefty grid penalty, will have to start from the very back.
