Red Bull junior delivers key verdict on current series with F1 seat in sight

Michelle Foster 21 Aug 2023 2:15 PM

A close-up shot of the AlphaTauri nose cone.

Red Bull junior Liam Lawson accepts it’s up to Red Bull where he goes next with his two main options being another season in Japan’s Super Formula or a promotion to Formula 1.

But if it was up to him, the “goal” is Formula 1.

Lawson is currently competing for Team Mugen in Super Formula, sitting P2 in the championship with his hopes of the title dealt a blow after a P13 finish in Sunday’s race in Motegi with the driver involved in a huge crash at the start.

Liam Lawson: My goal is Formula 1

Lawson spun exiting Turn 2while challenging his teammate Tomoki Nojiri for the lead, with the cars of Yuhi Sekiguchi and Tadasuke Makino sent airborne in the carnage.

The race was red-flagged with the New Zealander’s team doing an incredible to repair his car in time for the restart. Alas Lawson wasn’t able to repay them with points, P13 in the race.

He now trails Ritomo Miyata by eight points with just a double-header at Suzuka to come.

But after that is said and done, the driver admits he doesn’t know what comes next.

“It depends on how the season goes,” Lawson toldSpeedcafe. “It depends on where I finish in the championship this year.

“To be honest, I think if I were fighting at the front, like we are currently, at the end of the season, I feel like I’ve gotten everything out of it.

“My goal is Formula 1.”

Lawson has been linked to a move into Formula 1 with Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri, although Daniel Ricciardo’s return could yet cost him the opportunity or delay it by a season.

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The Australian replaced Nyck de Vries earlier this year with Helmut Marko saying hecould remain with AlphaTauri next yearto build toward a possible 2025 Red Bull return.

And with the team also expected to retain Yuki Tsunoda for a fourth season, that leaves Lawson out in the cold.

He, however, says he is still in Red Bull’s plans having asked the team back in July if he was “still on the cards to be an F1 driver” after they gave the AlphaTauri seat to Ricciardo, and the Red Bull bosses says yes, “as long as I do my job”.

He added: “I’ll talk to Dr Helmut Marko and Christian Horner a little bit more but it will just be the same as it has been all year – ‘keep winning. If you want a shot, keep winning.'”