F1 rookie Liam Lawson cast a disappointed figure after the Italian Grand Prix, the AlphaTauri charger left to ponder what may have been after just missing out on a top-ten finish at Monza.
After being dropped at the deep end at Zandvoort a week earlier for his F1 baptism of fire, Lawson didn't put a foot wrong all weekend in Italy and executed a good race on Sunday to finish P11.
The Kiwi, who qualified P12, was AlphaTauri's sole representative in the race following Yuki Tsunoda's demise on the formation lap due to an expired engine.
The Faenza-based outfit relied on a two-stop strategy for Lawson that saw him run as high as 11th before he twice fell to 16th and recovered to put himself on the verge of the top-ten.
In the closing stages of the race, the 21-year-old apprentice lost P12 to McLaren's Oscar Piastri but then regained the spot as he overhauled Williams' Logan Sargeant on the final lap.
However, Piastri was hit with a five-second penalty by the stewards for leaving the track and gaining an advantage as he overtook Lawson which handed P11 to the latter in the race's final results.
"More and more comfortable, but just a little bit disappointed with the race," Lawson said as he described his afternoon at the Temple of Speed.
"We maybe had the pace for points, I’m not sure, we have to look into it.
"I had a bad start, and that’s where we really lost the chance. A bit disappointed to be so close."
At Zandvoort, Lawson jumped on the bandwagon on Saturday and endured treacherous conditions for the remainder of his weekend.
But at Monza, the Red Bull protégé enjoyed a trouble-free three days of running, in the dry, that proved invaluable for his experience and progress.
"Much, much more prepared, to be honest, but unfortunately not enough to fight for points," he said.
"It definitely helps with all the work we did leading up, and I feel much more comfortable with the car."
©AlphaTauri
However, he admitted that he's still getting acquainted with the many complexities associated with the job of an F1 driver.
"Just procedures," he explained. "There’s a lot to do behind the wheel of the car, and it’s obviously better if you don’t have to look down at what you’re doing, and that’s something that takes a little bit of time."
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