What Liam Lawson’s latest move reveals about F1 goals

Liam Lawson looks on in the Red Bull Racing garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia this year. Photo / Getty Images

Liam Lawson is in a new setting this season, but the expectation remains the same – challenge for race wins.

The Kiwi motorsport star has been deployed in the Japanese Super Formula circuit by Red Bull Racing this year as he looks to continue his development towards pushing for a Formula 1 seat.

Lawson, who was signed as a Red Bull academy driver in 2019, has spent the past two seasons in Formula 2 where he won five races and achieved a further eight podium finishes. In 2022, he finished third in the F2 drivers’ championship.

This year, he will make a step up as he trades the globetrotting F2 schedule for a compact, Japan-based campaign he believes is a sign of where Red Bull see his future.

“There were a lot of questions raised by going in this direction this year, but for me, it’s a huge positive going to Japan for a championship that they only send drivers to when they’re trying to prep them for F1,” Lawson told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking.

Lawson’s move follows the model set out by former Red Bull and AlphaTauri F1 driver Pierre Gasly in 2017. Gasly, now driving for French F1 team Alpine, failed to quite convince the powers that be at Red Bull that he was ready to make the jump to F1 during his time in F2, but a strong season in Super Formula saw him earn a seat with AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s sister team initially established to help develop their young talent at F1 level.

Lawson’s path has been similar. After spending five seasons between Red Bull and AlphaTauri, Gasly took up an offer from Alpine, vacating a seat with AlphaTauri. Lawson was seen as the leading candidate among the Red Bull academy drivers to earn the seat, but missed out.

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost noted a lack of experience worked against the Kiwi driver, instead signing former Formula E winner Nyck de Vries, who had spent time with several F1 teams in testing roles.

With Super Formula seen as a closer series in terms of performance of the cars than F2, immersing himself in the Japanese competition will only benefit the 21-year-old Kiwi on his quest.

While focusing on competing for race wins on the nine-race circuit, Lawson will maintain duties as a Red Bull and AlphaTauri reserve driver - which will see him attend F1 events throughout the season and work closely alongside the teams in development and simulation work.

As a reserve driver, Lawson would get the call-up to drive in the place of a Red Bull or AlphaTauri driver should one be forced out of a race. However, he is sharing reserve duties with Australian Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull this season and if it was an event Lawson was not attending, Ricciardo would likely get the drive.

“I’m always on standby, but it would take a lot to put an F1 driver out,” Lawson said. “Even if you’re sick, if it were me in that situation and I’m in a world championship position and I’m sick, I’m going to drive the car unless it’s physically not possible.”

The Super Formula season gets underway next week, with the first two races of the campaign at Fuji Speedway in Oyama. Lawson will be driving for defending champions Team Mugen, alongside reigning drivers’ champion Tomoki Nojiri.

Lawson said there was pressure that came with the change in scenery for 2023, but it was all part of the territory.

“I’m definitely used to that side of things, so it shouldn’t be too different to last year in F2. I prefer being in this situation of being the inexperienced guy who probably has less to prove than coming into my second season of Formula 2.”