Lawson says F1's access problem begins in karting

Liam Lawson says the debate over who deserves an F1 seat misses an earlier barrier: whether young racers can afford to reach the grid at all. Asked about the driving-standards furore during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, he said Formula 1 is “too hard to get into” and that many drivers never get the chance to show what they can do in a race car.

He traced that barrier to karting. Lawson contrasted a child with six or seven engines with another who cannot test or run new tyres, saying unequal access to equipment leaves the latter at a disadvantage.

Fernando Alonso said after the United States Grand Prix that the quality of drivers in the lower third of F1's grid was very low. Alonso doubled down in Mexico, singling out Alex Albon; Albon replied that F1 no longer had pay drivers and that the grid was the strongest it had been in a while.

Lawson said he had not considered who deserved a place on the 2026 grid. He did believe there had been cases over the years in which drivers he considered less deserving got opportunities ahead of others, and felt F1 was moving further in that direction. He pointed to the sport's 22 seats, even with two more now. Lawson's own route included support too: he recalled generous help as a child in New Zealand and benefited from Red Bull backing.