Lawson says F1 debut at Spa was 'a crazy experience'

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AlphaTauri rookie Liam Lawson ran with F1's big boys for the first time on Friday at Spa, and the Red Bull junior describing his maiden FP1 experience as "a crazy step up" from F2.

Lawson was handed an FP1 outing by Red Bull as part of his development programme as well as part of each F1 team's mandatory requirement to run a young driver in at least two practice sessions this season.

Running onboard Pierre Gasly's AT03, Lawson he concluded his session P19 but wisely kept himself out of trouble while executing his running programmes scheduled by his team for the session.

AlphaTauri chief race engineer Jonathan Eddolls praised the 20-year-old for a job well done.

"It was great to welcome Liam back to the team, with him taking over the FP1 testing duties in Pierre's AT03," said Eddolls.

"The conditions were not straightforward for his session - cold temperatures, hard tyres, damp track, a Red Flag and rain at the end of the session - but he kept his head down and completed all of the work we asked of him. He did a good job."

But the AlphaTauri engineer's satisfaction was nothing compared to the sheer exhilaration expressed by the team's young debutant after his 60-minute session.

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"I’ve enjoyed getting to drive the car around such an iconic track, it’s been a crazy experience," said the Carlin F2 charger.

"The car was great to drive, the limit is so much further than I was ready for, it took a bit of time to get used to that, but I think I built up the pace steadily on the Hards and was ready to push on the Softs at the end, so it’s a bit of a shame I didn’t get the opportunity to really go for it.

I want to say a big thank you to Scuderia AlphaTauri and Red Bull for giving me this opportunity. It’s been really cool spending the weekend with the team, it’s a crazy step up from F2.

"There’s so many more people than I’m used to, but having this opportunity is really great for us young drivers so we can understand what it’s like in an F1 team and learn as much as we can.

"I’ve loved every second of today and am extremely appreciative for this opportunity."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.