3 F1 drivers with a shorter spell at a team than Liam Lawson at Red Bull

Liam Lawson has been abruptly and unceremoniously dropped by Red Bull Racing, just two race weekends into his career with the team, but that’s still not the shortest career we’ve seen in F1. In fact, compared to one driver on this list, he’s a veteran..Here are three with very short careers.

Jack Aitken - 1 race: Williams, 2020

A knock-on effect of Lewis Hamilton contracting COVID-19 in 2020 meant Jack Aitken debuted at the Sakhir Grand Prix in place of George Russell for Williams - who himself replaced Hamilton for Mercedes.

Aitken completed the race for Williams, spinning - and losing his front wing - to cause a safety car as a chaotic race unfolded on Bahrain’s ‘outer circuit’.

Aitken stayed with Williams as reserve until the end of 2022 but never raced in F1 again, moving to sport cars instead.

Markus Winklehock - just over a third of a race: Spyker, 2007

F1’s answer to the question: “who is the only driver to start first and last in the same Grand Prix?” is this man, Markus Winkelhock.

Having qualified last place for the 2007 European Grand Prix at Nurburgring, Germany - an inspired call by his Spyker team on the formation lap saw Winkelhock pit for wet tyres on a dry track. To Spyker’s luck, the German rolled out of the pitlane dead last, but a torrential rain shower battered the circuit.

Cars slid off everywhere, leaving Winkelhock to breeze through into first place to lead on what would be his only F1 race - and was 33 seconds ahead of second placed Felipe Massa on lap four. The race was soon red flagged, and Winkelhock lost multiple places on the restart before retiring 22 laps into the race with a hydraulic issue that caused a small fire on his Spyker car.

Andre Lotterer - a lap: Caterham, 2014

Another German, Andre Lotterer has made a hell of a career for himself: Le Mans winner, Super GT champion, multiple World Endurance Champion, Formula Nippon champion and multiple time Formula E podium sitter and Super Formula runner up.

In between some of these came his F1 career. A one race stint at Spa-Francorchamps in 2014 saw Lotterer appear for Caterham qualifying 21st on the 22 car grid in what was a very poor car. On race day, Lotterer lasted one lap before a loss of power curtailed his race debut and brought the curtain down on his F1 career.

The opportunity to race in Monza for the team came up, but Lotterer opted against it as the team wanted Spaniard Roberto Merhi in the car for a part of the race weekend. It was probably for the best Andre, it all worked out elsewhere!

📸 Image credits: Sky Sports, Formula Motorsport Limited.