Abu Dhabi Performances ‘shows where we should have been most of the season’ – Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson ended his time in the FIA Formula 2 championship with a double podium in Abu Dhabi, with the New Zealander ending the season third in the final standings.

The Red Bull Junior Team driver is set to leave Formula 2 to race in the Japanese-based Super Formula championship in 2023, but he secured his fourth Sprint race victory of 2022 on Saturday before taking third in the Feature race on Sunday.

Lawson admits his performances he showed during other parts of the 2022 campaign should have been as strong as it was in Abu Dhabi, which meant the Carlin driver could not fight for the championship as he wanted to do.

However, having started the final weekend of the season sitting seventh in the standings, ending up third was a great way to conclude his time in the championship.

“Very happy with the weekend,” said Lawson. “Obviously to finish on a high is nice, I think we, as a team, deserve it after the struggles we’ve had this year.

“I think it also shows where we should have been most of the season, we’ve had the pace to be here all year. It’s a bit bittersweet, obviously very happy with the win yesterday.

“Third isn’t what we came into the year to achieve but considering we came into this weekend seventh, taking third is maximising what we could achieve.”

Lawson also enjoyed his first FIA Formula 1 World Championship free practice outing with the championship-winning Oracle Red Bull Racing team on Friday – his third overall after two sessions with Scuderia AlphaTauri in Belgium and Mexico City – and he felt that coupled with the results in Formula 2 has made it his best weekend of the season.

“It’s been my highlight weekend of the year, to have FP1 with Red Bull as well, very happy with that and to finish third in the F2 championship,” Lawson added.