Liam Lawson made an impression when he suddenly had to replace the injured Daniel Ricciardo at the then AlphaTauri after the summer break of 2023. While waiting for Ricciardo’s return, the 21-year-old New Zealander took part in five Grands Prix, starting in Zandvoort, and scored his first points in Singapore two races later. Yet Lawson missed out on a full-time F1 seat for next season, which will mainly focus on his role as reserve driver at Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB.
Lawson has had an eventful year. Despite his excellent performance behind the wheel of Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri car, the New Zealand racing driver still has to wait a while for his big breakthrough in the premier class of motorsport. Red Bull’s sister team is sticking with the duo Yuki Tsunoda-Ricciardo. In addition, Lawson also narrowly missed out on the overall victory in the Japanese Super Formula Championship, where he ultimately had to settle for second place.
What does 2024 have in store?
Yet the Red Bull talent can look back on a successful 2023, which was full of races and educational experiences, but ’24 promises to look a lot different. Lawson is preparing for a season that will mainly take place on the sidelines and in which he will focus on his duties as reserve driver at both Red Bull and Visa Cash App RB. When asked what the rest of his program will look like, Lawson could not yet provide an answer, he reported to The Herald.
‘I don’t know yet what and when I will drive next season. We still have to decide that,” Lawson started. However, it is clear that we will see the 21-year-old regularly appear in the paddock. ‘I would prefer to get behind the wheel of an F1 car. That is something we (Lawson and his entourage, ed.) are all working towards, whether in a testing role or as a full-fledged driver. But at the moment there is no confirmation yet.’
The winter break is slowly coming to an end and so the teams are regrouping as the first GP of the new season (in Bahrain) approaches. Last week, Lawson traveled to the home base of Visa Cash App RB in Italy to prepare for the start of the season and the upcoming winter tests. “It looks promising,” the New Zealander reflected. ‘Because of the direction the team is now taking, the improvements could be significant in the long term. And that’s exciting for everyone.”
