Juan Pablo Montoya, a former Formula 1 driver, has voiced his opinion that Red Bull Racing should retain Liam Lawson for the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Montoya cautioned the team against hastily returning Isack Hadjar to the cockpit, as he continues to recover from a wrist injury sustained during the summer break.
Lawson was called up at the last minute to replace Hadjar during the Dutch Grand Prix, where his performance was notable despite the lack of preparation time. Reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda had stepped into Lawson's seat at Racing Bulls, alongside teammate Arvid Lindblad. In his debut, Lawson impressed by closely matching the pace of Red Bull's star driver, Max Verstappen, during qualifying. He ultimately finished seventh, earning six valuable points for the team.
As Lawson continues to fill in for Hadjar at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza this weekend, Montoya emphasized the importance of allowing Lawson to compete in the Spanish Grand Prix. Speaking on F1 TV's Weekend Warm-Up, he stated, "Yuki showed the pace he had in the race, passing people, the aggression. I think everything that you wanted to see out of a driver. If you’re looking for drivers in F1, he delivered. He did the job. He didn’t make mistakes. He didn’t put a wheel wrong, and it was really good to see."
Montoya further advised Red Bull to take a cautious approach regarding Hadjar's return, suggesting that the team should prioritize Lawson's preparation for the new track in Madrid. "With Liam, if I were Red Bull, especially going into Madrid next week, I would go, 'Hey, let’s be smart. We’re going to get a couple more weeks of recovery, and we’ll prepare Liam properly for Madrid because it’s a new track for everybody,'" he explained.
Currently, Lawson holds ninth place in the drivers' standings with 49 points, while Hadjar is in eighth with 68 points. Verstappen, a consistent contender, sits sixth with 112 points. In the championship race, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli leads with a significant 242 points.
The Spanish Grand Prix is set to take place from September 11-13 at the newly constructed Madring circuit, marking an exciting debut for the venue. As teams prepare for this inaugural event, the decisions made by Red Bull regarding their driver lineup could have implications for the championship standings as the season progresses.
Leave a Comment