F1 News: Red Bull Boss Hints Future Formula One Seat For Liam Lawson
Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson might be in for a treat after team principal Christian Horner hinted at the possibility of the New Zealander securing an F1 seat in the future. The 21-year-old is currently racing for AlphaTauri as a temporary replacement for Daniel Ricciardo.
Lawson has been attracting a lot of attention lately with his impressive performances on track. He finished 13th, 11th, 9th, and 11th in his four Grands Prix so far. But, he won't be getting a seat next year with Red Bull or AlphaTauri as drivers of the respective teams are booked for next season.
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A seat with Williams alongside Alexander Albon is still open but Lawson didn't seem to be interested as he recently revealed of him being a "Red Bull driver," thus committing to his reserve driver duties with the Milton Keynes outfit for 2024.
Speaking to RacingNews365 during the Japanese GP weekend, Horner praised Lawson for his performance so far. He said:
“I think he's done an outstanding job.
"I mean, dropped in the rain in Zandvoort, that was a bit of an eye opener for him. I thought he did well there and then a week later in Monza, he was unlucky to miss out on a point.
"Then seeing Singapore for the first time and scoring a couple of points. He's a gritty racer, we know that about him.
"I think he's grabbed this opportunity in Formula 1 that very seldom drivers get – a chance to demonstrate his talent.
"He’s done a tremendous job and certainly has put himself firmly on the radar and cemented the feeling that we had about him."
Horner also revealed a luxury problem AlphaTauri has been facing since they're spoilt for choice between three great drivers. However, the team boss made a big revelation about Lawson for the future. He added:
"We’ve got a luxury problem, where we've got three into two into that team.
"Obviously, it’s an AlphaTauri issue, but you know, there are three great drivers and it's a nice headache to have. He will be a Grand Prix driver.
"He already is a Grand Prix driver, you know, at some stage.
"Whether he has to wait a little for that or not, then.. I think he's demonstrating that that he is a talent for the future.”