Liam Lawson, the young Kiwi driver who has been thrust into the Formula 1 spotlight as Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement at Red Bull, will face a grid penalty on his debut at the United States Grand Prix.
The penalty stems from the team’s decision to introduce a new power unit for Lawson, which is required due to the team’s annual parts allowance being allocated to the entry rather than the driver.
This means that Lawson inherits the power units already used by Ricciardo this season.
Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner, explained that the team had chosen to take the penalty in Austin to provide Lawson with a “soft re-entry” into F1 racing.
Despite the penalty, Horner emphasized that Lawson will still be under immense pressure to perform, as his performances will be directly compared to his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson, who has impressed in previous stints with Red Bull, will be eager to make a strong start in his new role.
