Lawson stands out in the super formula and is emerging as a potential replacement for the Dutch driver in case he decides to retire once the contract ends
Liam Lawson, reserve pilot of Red Bull in Formula 1, he has taken the lead in the Super Formula championship after taking his second victory of the season at Autopolis last Sunday. Lawson, who already sparked interest after his debut win at Fuji last month, is positioned as a potential successor to max verstappen if he decides to leave Red Bull.
Despite losing a position after the start, Lawson knew how to use the undercut tactic to get ahead of his rivals when they made their mandatory pit stop. With this move, managed to retain its lead on used tyres, beating Ritomo Miyata by just over a second. With this victory, Lawson ascends to the lead in the standings, placing himself four points ahead of Miyata, and with Sho Tsuboi 11 points behind.
A successful career strategy and outstanding performance
Lawson himself admitted that the start of the race was not perfect, attributing the initial loss of position to track dirt and a non-ideal bite point. However, the team opted for a strategy contrary to the rest, deciding on an early stop that placed them in traffic that they had to overtake quickly to gain time on the leaders.
“The undercut worked, but I had used up all the performance in the tires passing people and there wasn’t much left,” Lawson acknowledged. Despite this, victory is undoubtedly a big boost to his title aspirations in addition to offering a closer approach to being Verstappen’s substitute in Red Bull. “The team did a fantastic job all weekend, the car was great,” added the driver.
The absence of Tomoki Nojiri a lucky turn for Lawson
Lawson’s bid for the title was also aided by the absence of his teammate in Mugen, Tomoki Nojiri, reigning two-time champion. Nojiri was ruled out of the event due to health issues, although he was present at Autopolis. Meanwhile, the pilot prepares to return in the best possible condition.
Lawson thanked Nojiri for his support over the weekend., despite dealing with his own situation. “I have to say a huge thank you to Nojiri-san for being with us over the weekend and supporting us when he himself had to deal with his own situation, many drivers wouldn’t have done the same.” Likewise, a new stage begins for the pilot, who is prepared for everything.