(Motorsport-Total.com) – Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson made an unplanned long stopover in his home country New Zealand during the race break between Suzuka and Miami. The reason: He had to apply for a new passport because his previous document was full.
A passport only has a limited number of free pages for entry and exit stamps, visas, work permits, or special notes. For frequent travelers like Lawson, these pages often fill up much faster than for regular travelers. Therefore, it became critical for the Formula 1 driver after Japan – he had to take action.
But now the matter is settled: “I have a new passport and am probably covered again for five years – at least until I run out of pages again,” Lawson said in Miami.
Lawson takes his mishap with humor
He was lucky to have a bit more time for the official procedure due to the cancellations of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Otherwise, it would probably have become much more hectic.
Lawson reacted with humor: “It just underlines my preparation and organizational skills.” Seriously, he added: “I probably should have taken care of it before the season started.”
However, the unplanned stay in his home country also had positive sides: “In the end [due to the race cancellations], I stayed a bit longer in New Zealand with my family. So it was good.”
No further points for Lawson in Miami
Sportingly, Lawson has so far remained without further success following his New Zealand trip: In Miami, the Racing Bulls driver scored no points after finishing 14th in the sprint and retiring in the Grand Prix. His collision with Pierre Gasly, which resulted in Gasly flipping over, caused a stir.
With a total of ten points from the races in Shanghai and Suzuka, Lawson currently ranks tenth in the Formula 1 driver standings.
