Liam Lawson was a rather unfamiliar name for the F1 audience when the 2023 season kicked off. Every team had its driver lineup sorted. However, a turn of fate saw the New Zealander step in as a temporary replacement for Daniel Ricciardo and the resultant stint instantly made him a hot property. As much as he owns the credit for the sensational drive, his Super Formula car deserves a special mention too.
In a month-old video on the YouTube channel LawVS, the host revealed, “The [Super Formula] car is seemingly proving to be very competitive and closer to F1 cars in some conditions than the outgoing F2 chassis. I also find it very funny that the F2 car for 2024 looks very much identical to a Super Formula car.”
Further in the video, he points to the fact that the reason behind these cars being so similar is their manufacturing. The same manufacturer, Dallara, makes the Super Formula and F2 cars’ chassis. From unlucky penalties to untimely red flags, Lawson’s fortune wasn’t always on his side. However, with three race wins, he managed to finish the 2023 Super Formula season as runner-up.
The experience behind the wheel came in handy during the F1 stint as well. The 21-year-old, in an earlier interview with BrrrakeF1 channel, credited the similarities between the Super Formula car and the F1 car to be a vital reason for his success. Despite his AlphaTauri being among the slowest cars on the grid, Liam Lawson finished P13 in his first race. With steady improvements, he managed to finish within points in his 3rd race in Singapore.
Barring the Qatar GP, Lawson did not finish below P13 in any race. The feat has got the youngster on many F1 teams’ radar. Naturally, this is not ideal for Red Bull.
What’s next for Liam Lawson?
For every F1 team, the ideal driver combination is that of experience and a young talent. Given his 5-race impressive run in 2023, Lawson is the ideal candidate to fit into the latter category. Red Bull is surely aware of this and would like to avoid an Alpine-Oscar Piastri-like situation with Liam. To retain the finest of their academy talent, the Milton Keynes-based team will have to promise him a seat shortly.
While Red Bull and AlphaTauri, both have set driver lineups for 2024, opportunity could arise in 2025 for Lawson. Sergio Perez has failed to match expectations against Max Verstappen and is running out of his contract in 2024. With Daniel Ricciardo more than keen to take his place, the move could materialize in 2025. The seat vacated by the Aussie driver could see the New Zealander fill in once again, this time in a permanent capacity.
As for 2024, Liam Lawson ruled out a return to F2 and Super Formula. Speaking on Beyond The Grid podcast, he talked about prioritizing his role as Red Bull’s reserve driver. Lawson plans on giving as much time as he can to the simulator. Any other commitments, he believes, would be a step backward.
Clearly, the 21-year-old is keen on getting an F1 seat. If that does not come through Red Bull, there are certain permutations and combinations in other teams that could turn in his favor. For example, if Red Bull decides to replace Perez with Lando Norris in 2025, McLaren could be a possible destination for Lawson. Similarly, if Fernando Alonso decides not to extend his contract with Aston Martin, the Silverstone-based team could be the place to be.
