Lawson sought Ricciardo’s advice ahead of Canadian GP

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson says he turned to former F1 star Daniel Ricciardo for advice ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, hoping to draw on the Australian’s experience at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where he claimed his maiden F1 victory in 2014.

Lawson, who has faced a challenging season, is eager to make his mark at the iconic Montreal track after a mixed run of results with the Racing Bulls team.

Lawson’s season began with a stint at Red Bull, but after a tough start, he was demoted back to Racing Bulls alongside teammate Isack Hadjar.

While Hadjar has often outshone him, Lawson managed to secure his first points of the year in Monaco, capitalizing on clever team tactics and a two-stop strategy.

However, his hopes of another points finish in Barcelona were dashed by an untimely Safety Car. Now, ahead of this weekend’s round of racing in Canada, Lawson is hoping that Ricciardo’s insights and wisom will help him navigate the unique demands of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Ricciardo’s Advice: "Use Lots of Kerb"

“It’s an iconic place. It looks like a fun track. I actually spoke to Daniel last week about this track and he loved it. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” Lawson said during Thursday’s media session.

The young Kiwi admitted he’s approaching Montreal with an open mind – but with a key tip from Ricciardo in the back of his head.

“Use lots of kerb. That’s probably the main one,” Lawson said of Ricciardo’s advice. “It’s a track where as drivers… It’s a bit unique compared to most tracks that we drive on.

“It can be quite bumpy, and obviously there is a lot of kerb use around it. So, yeah, I think it’s unique, it’s something that we all enjoy, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Despite Racing Bulls showing pace at the venue last year, Lawson remains cautious about drawing parallels.

“It’s good to know that the car was fast last year, but at the same time, it’s quite often now that we look at last year’s results and, to be honest, they don’t repeat themselves a lot of the time,” he said.

• Read also: Hadjar still ‘shouting and insulting’ – just not on the radio

“Tracks that maybe we haven’t been strong at, we’ve actually been strong at this year, and vice versa. So I think we just have to take it like any weekend. For me personally, it’s a track that I’m very excited for.”

After narrowly missing out on points in Barcelona, Lawson will be hoping that Ricciardo’s advice, and perhaps a bit of Montreal magic, helps push him further up the order on race day.

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