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.

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.

Liam Lawson says thinking about auditioning for a Red Bull seat in 2025 is "very far" from his focus, as he concentrates on 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,

There are many storylines to follow in the final stretch of the 2024 season. In almost traditional fashion, Red Bull’s driver line-up will be at the centre of discussion across F1 news outlets.