New Zealand Formula One driver Liam Lawson. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Liam Lawson has not been told if he is driving at the Japan Grand Prix this week, but it seems likely after the young New Zealander picked up his first Formula One points.
The AlphaTauri stand-in finished ninth at the Singapore Grand Prix and, in only his third race, also chalked up the team's highest finish of the season.
Japan had been Lawson's home this year as he contested the Super Formula Championship.
His steady progression, after being given his break when Australian Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand, has made a big impression.
Thirteenth in the Dutch Grand Prix, he was 11th at the Italian race in Monza and moved up another two places to ninth in Singapore.
"I don't know if I'm driving yet," was Lawson's response after being asked about returning to Japan, where he has been racing most of the season.
"If we are (racing at Suzuka) it would be great, I definitely know Japan better than Singapore, it's an awesome track.
"I can imagine in an F1 car it's nuts, so I'd love to drive there," he said.
Lawson qualified tenth in Singapore, again well ahead of AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
His efforts have put pressure on Red Bull, who control AlphaTauri, to give Lawson a permanent seat.
"Obviously you always want to come in at the start of the season and have a proper shot at it, but in this situation I've got to take what I get with both hands and it's come now.
"That's why it's critical that I maximise every session because it's a short window I've got."
Lawson says there was some anxiety when he first found out he was going to debut in the Netherlands, but since then it has been all work.
"Just focussed on maximising every single session, I don't know how long I have in this position, so it's important that every time I get in the car I get out and look back and know I've done everything I could."
Formula One drivers Max Verstappen of Red Bull and New Zealander Liam Lawson of AlphaTauri. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Despite his result, the 21-year-old managed to find fault in his weekend.
"I need to sort these starts because its two weekends in a row now that I've lost two spots off the line and it's just making our life more difficult."
He admits starts in F1 racing is so much more challenging than in the other categories he's raced.
"It's something that's very new to me, it's frustrating because at all the practice starts we'll get really good launches but when it comes to the race starts it's never there."
The two points made him the 350th driver to score in a Formula One world championship event, since the first in 1950.
Brendon Hartley was the last New Zealander to win points, driving for Toro Rosso in 2018, with his best result a ninth place finish at the United States Grand Prix.
The last New Zealander to podium was Denny Hulme in 1974.
