‘Adaptable, mentally strong, and fast in everything he drives’ – F2 expert Alex Jacques on why RB have put their faith in Lawson

It was announced after the Singapore Grand Prix that Daniel Ricciardo had left the RB team with immediate effect, with his seat going to young reserve driver Liam Lawson. It’s a bold move to make for the Faenza team, so we asked F2 commentator Alex Jacques exactly why they’ve put their faith in the young New Zealander…

It is rare to see a multiple Grand Prix winner replaced by a 22-year-old. Rarer still to see it happen mid-season but such is the combination of Liam Lawson’s potential and Red Bull’s ever confusing driver situation, it’s exactly where the organisation and driver find themselves ahead of the 19th Grand Prix of the year.

“It [also] always depends also on many other factors. Commercially – what kind of partners do they have, what are the budget, what are the resources?

“That’s obviously a key element in that kind of question. And I don’t know that going forward, what will happen here.

“But I hear that there is some more exciting stuff in the pipeline for the team, which will only help them, I think.

“And I think Haas is going to be a serious competitor in the years to come, especially definitely next year still because the regulations are stable.

“2026 is an unknown for everyone, but the exciting thing is 2026 is a white piece of paper and that makes it so interesting for everyone who could do a better job than other teams and stand out.”