Under-pressure F1 star Liam Lawson hasn’t enjoyed his Formula 1 career as much as he would have expected one year on from replacing Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls.

Lawson got the nod to replace Ricciardo ahead of last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, but the news wasn’t made official over what turned out to be an excruciating weekend of rumour and innuendo about the impending change.

Ricciardo’s exit was confirmed via press release in the week after the race, with Lawson’s elevation subsequently announced in the same way.

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The Kiwi has had a rollercoaster career since then. He was promoted to Red Bull Racing for the start of this year but was dropped after just two races, after which it took months for him to rebuild his confidence and recover momentum.

He’s now under pressure to hold his seat into 2026, with Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad in the mix for promotion from Formula 2.

Speaking ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix one year on from the beginning of his full-time Formula 1 journey, Lawson revealed that his chaotic introduction to the sport has left him unable to fully enjoy fulfilling his F1 dream.

“You enjoy the success, you enjoy the good moments, the results,” he said. “But it is it is crazy how quickly that mindset changes and flicks onto the next one.

“Baku was a great result, and I was super stoked for the team and I was soaked with how the race was. It felt like a great performance from me, but very quickly, within a few hours, you are already focused on the next one coming up.

“I think in my position as well, when I’m trying to secure a seat next year, it’s probably more natural to be thinking ahead more and trying to keep these results coming.

“There’s probably less enjoyment than you’d expect.”

The Kiwi said his unstable debut in the sport meant he has never felt truly comfortable in the paddock.

“The only time you’re secure is when you’re performing. and I don’t think there’s many drivers apart from some of the top guys that are going to feel completely secure in the sport,” he said.

“But it’s not really a new feeling anyway. It’s something that we are very used to.

“It’s something that in the Red Bull program we are introduced to at a very young age knowing that the only way you step up through the ladder is by performing and you have that pressure all the time. It’s on a bigger scale but it’s the same thing.”

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Marina Bay will be only the fourth circuit this season at which Lawson has raced before, albeit two seasons ago while standing in for the injured Ricciardo.

Last year he arrived back on the sidelines and harbouring the uncomfortable knowledge that he was poised to take Ricciardo’s job while sharing the Australian’s garage as a reserve driver.

Lawson described that weekend as “extremely uncomfortable”, though he said his relationship with Ricciardo became only stronger in the aftermath.

“I think the only thing I took away from it was how much of a good person Daniel is and how he was to me through the whole journey, from when I first came into the seat when he had his injury to going back to reserve,” he said.

“We had a very good relationship — still do, honestly. I think my only takeaway from that weekend last year was just how much respect I have for him.

“He sent me a nice message after Baku. He’s obviously off on his own journey at the moment. But he’s been very supportive.

“Obviously we’re from the same part of the world as well, so it’s something that we probably both understand — it’s quite difficult to get to this point, and we’re both really lucky.”

Ricciardo’s sacking last year ended his Formula 1 career, with the Australian recently confirming that he has no intention to return to active competition, quashing the low hum of idle speculation that he could seek to make a comeback to Formula 1 or elsewhere.

He’s since gone to ground, being yet to return to the paddock and having made few public appearances.

Lawson wouldn’t comment on Ricciardo’s decision to hang up the helmet — “At some point it’s very personal; it’s whatever you decide,” he said — but he did have one piece of advice for his newly bewhiskered fellow antipodean.

“He probably needs to shave his beard in most people’s opinions!” he laughed.