Alpha Tauri and Red Bull have confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo will not be returning for the Qatar GP. Therefore, Liam Lawson will get another chance, probably his last, to impress his bosses in Formula 1. After the Qatar GP, he will go back to being a reserve driver for Red Bull and Alpha Tauri.
“No Rush”
The fates of Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson in Formula 1 have already been sealed for 2024. Therefore, Red Bull and Alpha Tauri don’t feel any rush to bring the Aussie back at the Qatar GP. They know rushing someone’s injury can do more harm than good in the long run.
Before the Qatar GP, Jonathan Eddolls, Alpha Tauri Head of Trackside Engineering commented on Daniel Ricciardo in Japan. “He’s still going through that recovery phase. We’re still talking a while away, so we wouldn’t want to put a target on it. The recovery is going well. We’ve got some simulator work planned before a return.”
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For the Qatar GP, he said, “I think from our side and his side, there’s no rush to get him back too early. The worst thing would be to come back before it’s properly healed and cause any issues. The simulator is a very good representation of the car, all of the loads, et cetera. I think the final decision is more than likely going to come from him rather than from us.”
Christian Horner said “Less Than Likely”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner also commented on Daniel Ricciardo potentially returning for Alpha Tauri at the Qatar GP. He said, “I would say probably less likely than likely at the moment.”
“His recuperation is going well but he’s fixed in the seat for next year, does he need to rush a hasty return for Qatar where maybe another couple of weeks for Austin, which is a hell of a bumpy circuit anyway, it might be better to use that time in preparation for Austin.”
“I know he’s got his sights fixed on Qatar, he’ll drive the simulator next week and then we’ll make some decisions based on that.”
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All this means that the Qatar GP is probably the last chance for Liam Lawson to make a case for himself in Formula 1. He will be hoping for an impressive showing, like his previous 4 races.
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