Lawson looks set for super move

I’m still on track to achieve my [F1] dream, and that’s what I’m focusing on.

Liam Lawson

F2 racer Liam Lawson may not have a seat in the premier Formula One category in 2023 but he’s still very much in the Red Bull Racing picture.

He was set to replace world champion Max Verstappen in the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last night.

This was the 20-year-old Kiwi’s third F1 practice session this season and underlines how highly regarded he is by Helmut Marko, head of Red Bull’s driver development programme and adviser to their F1 team.

Lawson will also take part in next week’s young drivers test, also at Abu Dhabi.

With Nyck de Vries announced as Alpha Tauri’s new driver, there was no room for Lawson in F1.

Marko told Autosport Lawson would not be contesting another F2 season and would be racing Super

Formula in Japan, where fellow Kiwi Nick Cassidy won the championship in 2019.

“He will do Super Formula,” said Marko. “It’s a difficult place to be. The Japanese drivers know every centimetre, they know all the tracks; it’s not easy.”

Lawson was more circumspect about his future.

“I can’t really talk about stuff that hasn’t been confirmed yet and I’m just concentrating on Formula 2 this weekend,” he told D’Arcy Waldegrave on NewstalkZB.

“I don’t know fully what the plan is. [Despite what Marko said], I’ll wait for the confirmation to come through.

“I’m still on track to achieve my [F1] dream, and that’s what I’m focusing on. I’m still in the Red Bull Junior Driver programme, and that’s not changing as far as I know, and I still have some cool opportunities next year.”

Lawson has endured a mixed F2 season. He’s earned three wins, plus another five podium finishes, but has also had three retirements and finished outside the points in another six races.

He’s seventh overall, with a chance of snatching third with a good final weekend in Abu Dhabi. F2 is very competitive, with this season’s 26 races producing 12 different winners.

“I’ll never look back on this year and be happy with it and feel like we succeeded and achieved what we set out to do.”

Fellow Kiwi Marcus Armstrong is also looking for a strong finish this weekend before a possible change to IndyCar in 2023. Currently 12th, he could finish as high as seventh.