“It was tough”: Liam Lawson opens up on tricky conditions of Las Vegas street circuit
Liam Lawson admitted that the challenging surface and weather conditions significantly influenced his performance at the Las Vegas GP. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, after the race, the VCARB driver highlighted the difficulties of adapting to the unique circuit, particularly as it was his first time racing there.
Replacing Daniel Ricciardo in Austin with six races left on the calendar, Lawson faced the additional challenge of tackling the Las Vegas circuit without prior experience. The combination of cold weather, low grip levels, and the technical nature of the track around the Strip posed challenges for drivers across the grid.
Reflecting on his weekend, Lawson described it as particularly tough, noting that the circuit’s characteristics and conditions made adaptation difficult. He acknowledged that his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, had the upper hand in every weekend session, making it a learning experience for the New Zealander.
Asked by Sportskeeda if not having driven in Las Vegas before made it harder to put up a strong showing, Liam Lawson said:
“Yeah, it was tough. I think just this sort of unique circuit on this sort of surface, this temperature, just really slippery. It's obviously different to most circuits we drive on, that are really high grip. So, yeah, it's been tough, but obviously a lot of things I’ll have to take from it and learn going forward.”
Liam Lawson believes the next two race weekends are going to be critical for VCARB to bag sixth place
The Visa Cashapp RB F1 team has dropped to eighth in the constructors’ standings after being overtaken by Haas and Alpine in the last few race weekends. Despite holding sixth place comfortably for most of the 2024 season, their recent slide has turned the final two races into a crucial battle for the Faenza squad to reclaim lost ground and end the season on a stronger note.
Liam Lawson believes securing sixth place in the constructors’ standings remains the target for the final two race weekends. He praised teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s P7 finish at the Las Vegas GP for contributing valuable points to their tally. However, Lawson acknowledged that rival teams have outperformed them recently, making the battle for sixth a challenging but essential goal for the team.
Asked if the battle for P6 in the constructors is on the agenda for the next two rounds, Liam Lawson said:
“Yeah, for sure. I mean, that's obviously the target. Yuki has done well to score points today. And I don’t know what the gap is now, but we need to make the most of the next two races and try and finish strong.”
VCARB has accumulated 46 points this season and trails Alpine by three points and Haas by four in the fight for sixth place in the constructors’ standings. Yuki Tsunoda has been the team’s standout performer, contributing 28 points to their total and sitting 11th in the drivers’ standings. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson, who joined the team four race weekends ago, has added four points to their tally.