Liam Lawson will start the United States Grand Prix from the back of the grid after taking six 10-place grid penalties for new components outside of the regulations.
The young New Zealander will make his sixth Grand Prix start on Sunday, and his first of the season after he was drafted in to replace Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
Unfortunately for Lawson, he will face an uphill battle from the outset at the Circuit of the Americas as he fights against a monster grid penalty.
The 22-year-old has taken a new internal combustion engine, turbo charger, MGU-H, MGU-K, energy store and control electronics for the United States GP, with all six components being outside of the permitted allocation for the season.
For Lawson, the result is a 60-place grid penalty, condemning him to a P20 grid slot on Sunday. While frustrating for F1’s latest recruit, this was not totally unexpected.
“He will be taking an engine penalty anyway,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed heading into the weekend. “He’s got a bit of a soft landing, or a soft re-entry.”
While the United States GP will be something of a free hit for Lawson, the New Zealander will be keen to make an impression from deep in the field as he looks to mark himself out as a candidate for a Red Bull seat next season.
Sergio Perez is coming under increasing pressure after going 13 races without a podium, with Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda now facing a six-race shootout in anticipation of a major opportunity in 2025.
Lawson’s stock is extremely high among Red Bull‘s senior leadership, and Horner confirmed that the 22-year-old will be “gauged against his team-mate” over the coming six rounds.