Liam Lawson heads to Monza and Scott Mclaughlin to debut at Petit Le Mans
All eyes on Liam Lawson this weekend
A 21 year old from Pukekohe is the biggest news in motorsport this weekend with all eyes on Liam Lawson as he takes to Monza, filling in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo.
Lawson stepped into the global spotlight with a simply astounding F1 debut at the Dutch GP last weekend now gears up for the Italian Grand Prix with a comprehensive weekend preparation.
There is excitement for Lawson as he heads to Monza, a circuit he has more experience at and where he will have a full week’s preparation with the Alpha Tauri team to give him the best opportunity to impress.
“For Zandvoort, I flew in from Japan (following his latest race in Super Formula) on Thursday night after racing there the previous weekend. Obviously, you’re always prepared as much as you can be for these things, but it’s so unlikely that you never really expect it to happen – and then it did!
“The support from the team was amazing. They did everything possible to prepare me as much as possible in the limited time we had.
“Even during the race, Pierre (Hamelin, Race Engineer) was super supportive with so much information, basically walking me through it, and that really made my life a lot easier.
“Obviously, there are always things you can improve on. In the race, we had every condition thrown at us, so that was difficult at the time, but also a good and positive experience, which has helped me get ready for Monza.” Said Lawson.
Reflecting on his simulator session for Monza, Lawson has noted differences in lower downforce and the straightforward nature of the track. While he has experience at Monza from competing in F2 and F3, he acknowledges the challenges of adapting to an F1 car on the circuit. The Kiwi is also anticipating a huge surge of attention at Monza on the back of his Dutch Grand Prix drive and of course his affiliation with an Italian team, even though not Ferrari.
“Going to Monza with an Italian team is also going to be special,” he said.
“If I think back to last weekend, Formula 1 is just such a different world – the difference between walking into the circuit on Friday compared to walking into the circuit on Saturday, I’ve never experienced anything like that, specifically that level of attention.
“Being a home race in Monza, I imagine it’s going to be even more significant there.
“It’s amazing to be doing this. It’s been my dream since before I can even remember, so it’s very cool to have this opportunity, and I’m just going to try to make the most of it.”
As he heads to the renowned circuit Lawson's determination to make it into F1 is paying dividends. If Lawson can be in the points this race you would have to assume he will be very hot property in the F1 paddock next season.
You can watch Liam at Monza with the first practice session starting from 11pm, Friday 1st September on Sky Sport.
Scott McLaughlin to debut in IMSA Petit Le Mans
Kiwi IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin will be making his debut at the IMSA Petit Le Mans event in October at Road Atlanta this year. McLaughlin has taken to Indycars quickly but this year has also started to expand his driving repertoire State side and already raced with Tower Motorsports in two IMSA endurance events. So far McLaughlin has a fifth in class finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona, despite the car being hampered with electrical faults during the race, and a class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
McLaughlin has signed a sponsorship deal with US-based software firm Acumatic until the end of 2025 to contest other IMSA events.
While the details about his racing partner and class are yet to be announced, McLaughlin's car is believed to be a prototype. McLaughlin expressed excitement about the partnership with Acumatica, highlighting their alignment in pushing boundaries and achieving greatness. Acumatica's Chief Marketing Officer, Todd Wells, praised McLaughlin's dedication and announced their support for him over the next two years.
Fellow Indycar driver and McLaughlin’s teammate, Josef Newgarden, will be driving a Penske Porsche in the Petit Le Mans event.