Christian Horner has thrown his weight behind Red Bull starlet Liam Lawson following the youngster’s high-profile row with Fernando Alonso during the United States Grand Prix.
Lawson found himself in the middle of a spat with Alonso, a mini-feud sparked by the 22-year-old aggressively overtaking the two-time world champion during the opening lap of Saturday’s sprint race.
It would prove a sign of things to come, with Alonso heard blasting Lawson over his team radio, saying: “Man this AlphaTauri is such an idiot,” a reference to the VCARB driver who was getting under his skin.
Their dispute continued after the sprint race, with Lawson and Alonso pictured having what looked to be an intense conversation, before reigniting the battle during a dicey qualification battle.
This time it was Alonso stoking the fire by performing a risky overtake on Lawson heading into Turn 1 of the first qualifying lap.
But despite the heightened tension between the pair, Red Bull chief Horner is pleased with Lawson’s performance.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Horner said: “When you’re upsetting Fernando, you know that you’re doing something right. He [Lawson] is a tough, hard racer.
“I thought he looked like a veteran, to be honest with you. He’s a great racer.
“I think he can be very happy with that drive today. I thought he drove a great Grand Prix: starting 19, finishing in the points, some great overtakes. So he should be pleased with that.”
Lawson was less convinced though, admitting he was left a little perplexed by the squabble between him and a driver 21 years his senior.
Commenting on the apparent animosity over the weekend, a confused Lawson admitted: “He said he would screw me and I guess he kept his word. He was really upset, I’m not sure why.
“We were racing for P16 [in the sprint] and I don’t know why he was so upset. It is what it is. Hopefully, he can get over it and we’ll move forward.”
Lawson had the last laugh during Sunday’s main race, finishing four spots ahead of Alonso in ninth.
It was a spot that earned Lawson only his second point-scoring finish as a Formula One driver, with the New Zealand native having been ushered in mid-season for Daniel Ricciardo.
But with Lawson having made a solid start to life back in Formula One, talk of him making a late case to be named as Max Verstappen’s partner for the 2025 season is already gathering pace – a decision Horner will have the final say over.
