Bob McMurray: Former McLaren race member and NZ Motorsport Expert on Liam Lawson's difficult weekend in Mexico

Liam Lawson endured another tough weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix. 

After narrowly missing marshals who were stood on the track, he was forced to retire on the opening lap following a collision with Williams driver Carlos Sainz.

This marks Lawson's 5th DNF of the season, and it comes as Red Bull are expected to make an announcement on their driver line-up next year.

Bob McMurray told Mike Hosking that all the junior drivers can do is wait for the announcement. 

'To be in, when Red Bull holds all the cards, they have your contract, you can't do anything else...it's got to be the worst situation for junior drivers.'

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Didn't go so well for Liam yesterday in Mexico DNF.
That's five the season word from Red Bulls Helmet marker
was they were going to make the call now ish
this is Laws and Sonoda and lind Ladd. That's now
off for a month until they think guitar. So they're
focusing on Max anywayre Bom McMurray former McLaren race members
with us, Bob.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Morning, Good morning, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
What's I mean? I don't know where the hell we're
at with us? I mean, is had your Red Bulls answer?
I mean, so are they stuck on that and therefore
they move him Sonoda's out? Or is it Laws and out?
Or why are they promoting lind Ladd?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, it's a black art with the driver and management,
isn't it? And Helmet Marco seems to make a black
art even blacker. Honestly, we don't know. Nobody knows apart
from those in the team. That I make up feel
is that they will still keep Liam Sonoda will be
out and possibly be a reserve driver from Aston Martin

(00:52):
or something, unless Honda come up with a whole bunch
of money to keep him in the team, in which
case Liam is out. Now. All these things are variables
that they play around with. They've delayed that decision now
until basically the end of the season, and they say
that's to concentrate on Max with Stappen winning the championship.
But I would imagine it is more like they haven't

(01:14):
got enough information on Arvid Lyndblad, who, after all, was
down here in January racing in the Toyota Formula Regional Championship.
I mean, it's a big old stretch from that to
Formula One. But nonetheless they're like that. Two, they don't
want to make a lot demoralize their drivers as the
season goes on, and I thought, wreck, yeah, yeah, they're

(01:37):
doing a good job of that. But three, they might
need actually need those three drivers Sunoda, Haja and Lawson
to help Max for Stappan in his bid to win
the championship by getting in the way or being a
chicane or something like that. But it is it's got
to be the worst situation for junior drivers, and I

(01:58):
still class Liam as a junior driver in that respect.
To be in when Red Bull holds all the cards,
they have your contract, you can't do anything else.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
No, what's the fastination with limb Blad. He hasn't done
enough to warrant the promotion. He was out in FP
one over the weekend and he looked good, and you
perform well and all that stuff, but when you got
some capable drivers, what is it about lind Bladd that's
so magical.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, they think he's a bit of a star. Now
he's seventh in the Formula two Championship at the moment.
That ain't star material. So and he does have the
super licensed points whereas he's the only one that they've
got who is eligible with super license points in their
stable of junior drivers. I think Lynd Bladd, I really
think Lind Bladd needs another season in Formula two because

(02:41):
I think it's all very well appearing for an hour
on a Friday morning and amazing everybody, but it's not
what you do every weekend, every weekend in a Grand
Prix campaign, and I think he needs more, much more
than just appearing now and again and saying you're our
next coming star.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Good stuff. Nice to get your inside as always, Bob McMurray.
And my guest from everyone I talk to is that
if anyone goes to know to goes with the Honda connection.
He's off to Esther Martiners, as Bob alluded to. For
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