With Daniel Ricciardo and his toothy smile dumped out of RB due to a lack of results, New Zealand driver Liam Lawson starts a six-race sprint to the end of the season at the United States Grand Prix in Texas with the goal of proving he's worthy of a full-time seat in 2025.

The grin is gone from the Formula 1 grid. In its place, a Kiwi looking to make the most of another chance to impress.

Liam Lawson says thinking about auditioning for a Red Bull seat in 2025 is "very far" from his focus, as he concentrates on the performance criteria set by RB on his Formula 1 return. The New Zealander will return to an F1 seat in Austin after Daniel Ricciardo was let go by RB following the Singapore Grand Prix,