ISACK HADJAR COULD MISS DUTCH GP WITH LIAM LAWSON IN LINE FOR SHOCK RED BULL F1 RETURN

Isack Hadjar will reportedly miss this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix due to injury.

Hadjar picked up a wrist injury over F1's summer break

Isack Hadjar has reportedly been ruled out of the Dutch Grand Prix because of injury, opening the door for a surprise Red Bull Formula 1 return for Liam Lawson. 

Dutch publication De Telegraaf claims Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during a gym session over F1’s summer break that is likely to result in him missing this weekend’s race at Zandvoort. The report notes that a final decision has not yet been made by Red Bull. 

Should Hadjar indeed be sidelined, Lawson has been tipped to replace him and complete a shock return to the Red Bull senior team alongside Max Verstappen for the weekend.

Lawson is set to return to Red Bull for one weekend

Lawson was brutally demoted from Red Bull back to sister team Racing Bulls just two races into the 2025 season, having been brought in to take Sergio Perez’s place over the winter. 

If Hadjar cannot participate, it would also provide Yuki Tsunoda with an unexpected F1 reprieve. The Japanese driver, who acts as Red Bull’s reserve driver, would fill in for Lawson at Racing Bulls at Zandvoort. 

Tsunoda, who stepped up to replace Lawson early in 2025, has been out of F1 since making way for Hadjar at the end of last season, having become the latest victim of Red Bull’s ruthless driver shuffles. 

Ironically, Zandvoort was where Lawson made his F1 debut when he was drafted as a last-minute substitute after Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand in a practice crash ahead of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. 

It was also the scene of Hajdar’s maiden F1 podium finish during an impressive rookie campaign that led to the Frenchman ultimately earning the top drive at Red Bull this year. 

Missing this weekend would give Hadjar two weeks to recover before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 6 September. 

- Lewis Larkam

LEWIS HAMILTON OPENS UP ON THE CRUCIAL MISTAKE BEHIND VERSTAPPEN'S STUNNING OVERTAKE

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he did not see Max Verstappen coming, after the Dutchman produced an overtake of the season contender on the Ferrari driver at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion pushed Verstappen closely during the opening stint of the race, before undercutting the Red Bull driver during the pitstops.

Hamilton was simply expected to pull away from Verstappen and close up on the two leading McLarens, so would have been very surprised to see his old rival divebomb him into Turn 1, just after the pair lapped the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson.

Looking back at his start to the race and Max's overtake on him, Hamilton said: "I had a good start, relatively decent start. Gaining position and then had really good pace in that first stint of the race just can't overtake here unfortunately.

"Then undercut Max which is a positive. When we were passing one of the backmarkers I didn't see Max coming unfortunately. Max came past me and that kind of went downhill from there.

Giving his overall verdict on the day he added: "It was pretty bad, pretty frustrating. It is what it is and there's lots of positives to take from this first half of the season."

Hamilton was still on to finish ahead of Verstappen after undercutting him during the second stops. The Ferrari driver ultimately finished down in fifth though and blamed the unnecessary late pit stop for his penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

Lawson reacts to Verstappen move

Racing Bulls driver Lawson had the best seat in the house, as Verstappen lapped him before instantly divebombing Hamilton into the first corner.

Speaking after the race, he said: "Yeah, I was just trying not to get in the way and be too much involved. I wasn't getting lapped, so I didn't have to let him go, but yeah, it's I didn't expect them to go by. Obviously, I saw the late lunge, it ended up costing me so much time behind them, which at the time was a bit stressful, but it was a good move. It was very Max."

- Kieran Lynch

FROM KIDS TO FORMULA 1 KINGS 🤴

BREAKING: LIAM LAWSON TO RACE ALONG ARVID LINDBLAD FOR RACING RED BULL IN 2026

 

MIAMI GRAND PRIX SPRINT WINNERS

 

RED BULL CONFIRM MAX VERSTAPPEN TEAM- MATE FOR REST OF 2025

XPB

Helmut Marko has stated Yuki Tsunoda will remain alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull until the end of the F1 season.

The Japanese driver assumed the seat from Liam Lawson for his home grand prix at Suzuka. Whilst it was not the debut weekend the 24-year-old would have hoped for, Marko has confirmed the Milton Keynes squad will not make further changes this term.

Verstappen scored an improbable victory, built upon the foundation of a superb pole-securing qualifying lap, but Tsunoda's Q2 elimination left him powerless to prevent finishing point-less in P12.

However, he was significantly closer to the Dutchman through practice than Lawson could manage in Australia and China.

According to Marko, Tsunoda wanting a similar set-up approach to Verstappen means the latest Red Bull driver pairing fits better.

"Yuki is actually happy with Max's set-up. They have the same preferences, so it fits well together," Marko said to Austrian broadcaster ORF.

"Of course, it is important for us to have two cars in the points," he added, addressing Tsunoda's underwhelming output for the weekend.

However, the Austrian was also quick to highlight how well he fared up to qualifying, despite the lack of preparation afforded him.

"The first race went fairly smoothly. He was always two-to-three tenths behind Max in practice and qualifying until he was eliminated," the 81-year-old said.

"That's quite an achievement when you don't get more time," before concluding, "Yuki will finish the season at Red Bull."

- Samuel Coop

HONDA WILL NOT 'INTERFERE' WITH YUKI TSUNODA'S F1 CAREER AMID RED BULL MOVE

Getty Images: Mark Thompson 

The president of the Honda Racing Corporation has said it will not “interfere” with Yuki Tsunoda’s Formula 1 career after his recent promotion to Red Bull.

Tsunoda has been the centre of attention for the last week, having finally earned a promotion from Red Bull’s junior team in a switch which sees Liam Lawson swapped after only two Grand Prix weekends.

The Japanese driver, who is now in his fifth season of F1, had been overlooked for the seat alongside Max Verstappen, suggesting that a move away from the Red Bull programme might be beneficial to his career.

Some speculation had previously tipped him to move to Aston Martin, which is about to begin a powertrain partnership with Honda, but its president, Koji Watanabe, has intimated that it will not make moves to lure the 24-year-old away.

“Our partnership with Red Bull will conclude this year, so we have no leverage to pressure Red Bull regarding 2026,” he said. “He earned his promotion to Red Bull based on his performance, so he must continue proving himself to remain there in the coming years.

“The most important thing is his own will – since he wants to continue with Red Bull, we have no reason to interfere.”

No ‘special actions’ taken by Honda to secure Tsunoda’s Red Bull move

Last week, Watanabe said he was “delighted” by Tsuonda’s move to Red Bull, and with confirmation he is still in a “sponsorship agreement” with Honda, which still shares a relationship with Red Bull, in as much as that its V6 hybrid engines are still powering the Milton Keynes squad’s car, albeit developed and rebadged under the Red Bull Powertrains name.

It was also reported by Dutch newspaper De Limburger that Honda was prepared to pay Red Bull millions to ensure Tsunoda would replace Lawson, after the Kiwi endured a torrid opening two Grands Prix with the team.

However, Watanabe has tried to quell such a notion was accurate, saying that whilst its relationship with the Red Bull hierarchy remains strong, it did not hold or use any influence.

“We don’t know when or how Red Bull will make [a given] decision, so we always communicate that they should choose the best driver,” he said. “I have very good communication with Christian Horner, and we constantly discuss not just driver personnel matters but also trackside support structures.

“This time, we did not take any special actions.”

Tsunoda will fittingly make his first race appearance for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix – his home race – at Suzuka, a track operated by Honda, in a special livery commemorating Honda’s involvement in F1.

- Jack Oliver Smith

BREAKING: RED BULL TO SWAP TSUNODA FOR HADJAR AT FIRST JAPANESE GP PIT STOP

Management to discuss new strategy of punishing underperformance by rotating drivers in the race

Here’s TopGear.com’s roving correspondent, Cory Spondent, with his mostly incorrect exclusives from the world of motoring

Red Bull is considering swapping out Yuki Tsunoda with Isack Hadjar at the first pit stop at this weekend’s Japanese GP if he does not perform as expected, insiders have revealed.

Following Liam Lawson’s difficult start to the season and subsequent demotion back to the junior outfit after just two races, Yuki Tsunoda will be given a small window of opportunity to prove his worth alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

However, should Tsunoda’s pace disappoint, Hadjar will be parachuted in at the first round of pit stops and given five laps to respond with lightning pace

“This is all part of a reasonable, structured and sensible plan to develop our junior drivers,” an insider said. “Nothing can better depict Formula One’s cutthroat approach than by swapping out a promising, contracted driver mid-way through the race and crushing his spirit.

“What do they want, half a season to get to grips with an unwieldy, recalcitrant and unbalanced car designed around the genius of one generational talent? Think of all the promising F2 careers we could have churned through by the summer break.

“No. The second Red Bull seat is hungry. It needs feeding. We must throw it fresh meat at every race,” the insider added, while laughing nervously and backing away slowly.

Should Hadjar also fail to compete with Verstappen’s pace, team bosses will simply go through racers in every Formula past and present up to and including ageing British Touring Car champions.

“Second Red Bull seat scary, you say? I’ve swapped paint with a Vauxhall Cavalier on its doorhandles and lived through the Nineties, mate. Nothing scares me,” a retired BTCC champion remarked.

- Cory Spondent

RED BULL 'NEVER CONSIDERED' DANIEL RICCIARDO APPROACH TO REPLACE LIAM LAWSON

Getty 

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is adamant that the team “never considered” approaching Daniel Ricciardo about a possible Formula 1 return to replace Liam Lawson

Earlier this week, Red Bull announced that Lawson’s stint with the senior team had been cut short two rounds into 2025 amid a disastrous beginning to the campaign.

Lawson’s demotion has seen Yuki Tsunoda become the fifth driver to partner Max Verstappen since 2019 in a spot that has become renowned as a poisoned chalice.

Red Bull’s strive to resolve the team’s ongoing second driver conundrum had even extended to granting Ricciardo a reprieve with the group’s sister squad in mid-2023.

However, the Australian was unable to produce the results to inspire a dream avenue back to Red Bull, prompting him to be dropped with six rounds to go last season.

But with Ricciardo remaining the most competitive team-mate Verstappen has had, Marko was asked whether Red Bull had contemplated getting in contact with him.

“No, that was never considered,” Marko, who allegedly wanted to curtail Ricciardo’s comeback with Racing Bulls even earlier in 2024, retorted to Motorsport.com.

“Daniel had his last race and has since completely distanced himself from Formula 1.

“He was briefly in Australia [for the Grand Prix], yes, but I think he left again on Thursday. It was never a topic.”

Ricciardo indicated F1 career was done

Ricciardo had indicated once the curtain came down on his last race in Singapore that his failure to reunite with Verstappen at Red Bull had spelt an end to his career.

“I think [I] acknowledge also why I came back into the sport, sometimes you see the big picture,” Ricciardo told media including Motorsport Week at the time.

“I always said I don’t want to be a guy who’s just here on the grid and fighting for a point every now and then which has kinda been how this year’s gone.

“Obviously this year the purpose was to try and do good enough to get back into Red Bull and fight for wins again, see if I’ve still got it.

“I felt like I came up short with that, so I think it’s then, ‘ok what else am I fighting for here, what else is going to give me fulfilment’.

“I’ve been a young driver as well and at some point I don’t just want to take up space also, obviously you have to be selfish.

“But for me if I’m not able to fight at the front with Red Bull I have to ask myself what am I staying on the grid for, that’s something I’ve also come to peace with.”

- Taylor Powling

HELMUT MARKO REVEALS MAX VERSTAPPEN "NOT HAPPY" AFTER LIAM LAWSON EXIT

According to Helmut Marko, Max Verstappen is "not happy" with Red Bull's decision to replace Liam Lawson after just two race weekends.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Getty Images

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that four-time champion Max Verstappen is "not happy" after the team decided to drop Liam Lawson ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. 

After just two race weekends of his rookie Formula 1 season, Red Bull announced that Lawson is moving back to its sister team Racing Bulls, and Yuki Tsunoda will be taking the spot alongside Verstappen from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards. 

The Milton Keynes squad assessed both Lawson and Tsunoda in the latter stages of the 2024 season to decide who would replace Sergio Perez in the team for 2025. Despite the Japanese driver's four-year experience in Racing Bulls, they opted to sign Lawson, citing his ability to consistently perform under pressure. However, after just three races, including the sprint race in China, the team has made a U-turn on this choice. 

After the announcement was made yesterday, Marko has revealed to De Telegraaf that Verstappen is not happy with the decision. He explained:

"We know Max is not happy. But we need two cars at the front. Not only for the constructors' championship but also to help Max to his fifth world title. Then you can achieve more strategically in races. We can use Yuki's experience and form now. That counts.

"At the end of the day, that is to the advantage of the team, and that also means to the advantage of Max."

Speaking before the team made the final decision, Marko also explained why the team didn't choose Tsunoda in the first place:

"Yuki was too inconsistent. That's why we unanimously decided on Lawson. But under the increased pressure, he couldn't deliver, right from the first day in Australia. Then he went into a downward spiral. It's like a battered boxer; it's very difficult to get out of it. In that sense, it was a mistake."

The Japanese Grand Prix weekend is the first opportunity Tsunoda will have to get behind the wheel of the RB21.

- Lydia Mee

TESTING DAY 1 | PM SESSION | FINAL CLASSIFICATION

 

LEWIS HAMILTON MUST FOLLOW STRICT RULE AT FERRARI THAT NO OTHER F1 TEAM HAS INCLUDING MERCEDES AND RED BULL

Hamilton will have to adapt.

Lewis Hamilton will have to follow a strict rule this year at Ferrari which could concern the seven-time World Champion.

Hamilton arrived at Maranello on Monday and posed in front of Enzo Ferrari's white house alongside the iconic Ferrari F40.

The 40-year-old will be in Italy all week and is expected to make his on-track debut for the Scuderia on Wednesday, likely driving either the 2021 or 2022 Ferrari challenger.

Ferrari is by far the most prestigious team on the grid, so it's no surprise that Hamilton wants to tick it off his bucket list as he approaches the end of his career.

Racing for Ferrari will be a completely different responsibility for Hamilton due to the team's history, and his new team operate under long-standing rules that Hamilton will have to live with.

Other teams on the grid quite openly have a driver hierarchy within the team, for example, Max Verstappen is given priority on strategy for Red Bull and Hamilton himself received similar treatment at Mercedes when teammates with Valtteri Bottas.

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko even confirmed Liam Lawson should not 'expect to beat' Verstappen in 2025 as that 'isn't his role'.

At Ferrari however, the team itself is treated as a kind of higher power and must come before any individual, so the notion of having a number-one driver is not considered by the Italian team.

Team Principal Fred Vasseur reiterated this point last year:

“We showed this season that we have more than equal treatment between the drivers,” Vasseur told media.

“I remember perfectly that one year ago in the same room, I had tons of questions about Charles number one and Carlos number two and 'blah blah blah'.

“It's not that we have a number one that’s a bigger asset. We have two drivers, they are doing a good job," Vasseur stated.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix- Getty

This could become an issue for Hamilton given his recent form, particularly given he is up against Charles Leclerc who is coming into his prime years.

Despite holding the record for most pole positions in the sport's history, Hamilton's qualifying form was disastrous by his own admission in 2024.

Leclerc has a 100% record of out qualifying his teammate across a full season, and without a certified number-one driver Ferrari are far more likely to give their lead driver a preferential strategy.

- Tom Jenkins

YUKI TSUNODA: CHRISTIAN HORNER HINTS AT RED BULL EXIT AFTER 2025

Yuki Tsunoda will represent experience and continuity at Racing Bulls next year but, passed over for promotion, the Japanese looks to be running out of road at the Red Bull-owned Formula 1 team.

A flurry of Red Bull announcements culminated on Friday with 20-year-old Isack Hadjar confirmed as Tsunoda's teammate.

The Frenchman takes the seat vacated by New Zealander Liam Lawson, who joins four times champion Max Verstappen at the main team after Mexican Sergio Pérez was dropped.

Tsunoda, 24, will be starting his fifth year with the team previously known as AlphaTauri and RB and has close ties to Red Bull's engine partners Honda.

The Japanese manufacturer is leaving Red Bull at the end of 2025, however, to work with Aston Martin.

"We're acutely aware that if we're not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki [at Red Bull] in all honesty this year, does it [keeping him on] make sense?," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters.

"You can't have a driver in the support team for five years. You can't always be the bridesmaid. You've either got to let them go at that point or look at something different."

Horner said he had spoken with Tsunoda, a fan favourite currently enjoying time off in Japan, and the driver was determined to show what he could do.

"I think he's very determined. He knows that things change very quickly," the Briton said. "Who would have thought nine months ago that we'd be sitting here talking about Liam Lawson being our driver for 2025?

Yuki Tsunoda missed out on a drive with Red Bull in 2025. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

"Things change quickly in this industry and he's aware of that and he knows that he needs to be the one demonstrating that he's the one knocking on the door."

Italy-based Racing Bulls, who have had several name changes after Red Bull bought Minardi in 2005 and renamed them Toro Rosso, have always been a feeder for the title-winning main Milton Keynes team.

Drivers to have come through their ranks include four times world champions Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen as well as race winners Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz.

Hadjar is one of a group of young prospects coming into the sport and Red Bull also have Arvid Lindblad as an exciting talent on the horizon.

Horner rates the 17-year-old, who has both British and Swedish nationality, particularly highly after a strong rookie season in Formula 3 including a Silverstone double win.

Currently without a super-licence, Lindblad will be seeking the necessary points in New Zealand early next year before a full F2 season that could set him up for promotion in 2026 at Tsunoda's expense.

- Reuters 

LIAM LAWSON 'LEARNED LESSON' AFTER MEXICO INCIDENT WITH SERGIO PEREZ

Liam Lawson of RB and Sergio Perez of Red Bull battle for position during the Mexico Grand Prix. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- RB driver Liam Lawson says he learned lessons from his collision with Red Bull's Sergio Perez at the Mexico Grand Prix, but will not change his overall approach to racing.

Lawson and Perez collided at Turn 5 while racing for position in Mexico, with Lawson gesturing with his middle finger at the Mexican when he passed him later in the race.

Perez told media after the chequered flag that Lawson, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB two races ago, had the wrong "attitude" for F1, claiming the New Zealander was "out of control".

Lawson, who drives for the Red Bull-owned RB team, said he spoke with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Helmut Marko following the Mexico Grand Prix.

"I don't think they want me to race differently," he said. "But obviously the target is not to make contact with another Red Bull car.

"And as I said at the time, it wasn't my intention in the moment. Looking back, maybe I could have avoided it. And clearly that would have been the right thing to do at the time."

Asked if he would maintain the same level of aggression in his racing, Lawson added: "That won't change, yeah. That attitude towards racing and how I approach races in Formula 1 won't change.

"That's how I'll always be, but at the same time there's things in there if I make mistakes I'll always learn from them. And clearly in Mexico I made a mistake and I'll learn from it."

Perez was attempting to pass Lawson for position when the pair collided. The Red Bull driver was squeezed to the inside of Turn 4 and then both ran deep into the corner, with Lawson ending up off the circuit.

Lawson rejoined ahead of Turn 5, which is where the two cars collided, and admitted he could have skipped the inside of the corner to avoid contact.

"Looking back, maybe there were things I could have done differently, I could have cut the chicane and avoided it completely," he said. "But in the moment I'm racing as well, you have a split second to make this decision.

"So it's something I've spoken to the team about afterwards and I've reflected on and I'll learn from going into this weekend."

Lawson said he spoke with Perez after the race and apologised for gesturing at the Red Bull driver with his middle finger.

"Briefly we spoke after the race but at the same time we left the track very early immediately afterwards anyway. So I think it was an on-track fight and I apologised for what I did after the incident.

"But in terms of the fight we had on track, it was deemed as a racing incident and something that was an in the moment battle."

- Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor

CHRISTIAN HORNER: MARKO WANTED DANIEL RICCIARDO OUT IN JUNE

Daniel Ricciardo has been replaced by Liam Lawson at Red Bull's junior team RB. Getty

 Christian Horner has revealed that Red Bull's motorsport adviser Helmut Marko wanted Daniel Ricciardo out of the RB team as early as this year's Spanish Grand Prix in June.

Confirmation that the eight-time race winner would be replaced by Liam Lawson at Red Bull's junior team was announced last week after the Singapore Grand Prix, meaning Ricciardo's 257-race career is likely at an end.

The 35-year-old Australian returned to RB midway through last year with the aim of impressing Red Bull's management enough to be considered as a potential replacement for Sergio Pérez at the senior team.

However, with Lawson on the sideline as a reserve driver, Horner said Ricciardo's own position was at risk after just 10 races as he struggled to match the performance of RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda week-in and week-out.

"I think it was the lack of consistency," Horner told the "F1 Nation" podcast.

"I mean he started the season roughly, then Miami was a weekend of two halves, the Friday and Saturday morning was fantastic and it looked like the Daniel of old, defending against Ferraris, out-driving the car, but then Saturday afternoon and the Sunday were disastrous.

"Even around Barcelona, Helmut wanted him out of the car, there was already a lot of pressure on him there."

Marko, who remains an influential figure within Red Bull's motorsport activities, has spoken on numerous occasions this year about the importance of Lawson returning to the fold.

Horner said he worked hard to give Ricciardo as many opportunities as possible to retain his position, but there was never a convincing enough argument that he would fulfil his target of being a genuine candidate to replace Perez.

"I've done my very best to buy him as much time in the car to allow him to deliver, so otherwise he would have been out of the car after Barcelona," he added.

"All the drivers are under pressure to deliver but the reason that Daniel was in that car was to get himself back into a position to ultimately be there to pick up the pieces if Checo [Pérez] didn't deliver.

"And the problem was they both had issues with form at varying times, Checo started the season very well, very strongly and Daniel was struggling, and then as Checo lost form Daniel found a bit of form but it was never compelling enough to say OK we should switch the two drivers."

The Red Bull team principal said Ricciardo has been offered an ambassadorial role with the brand, but admitted the chances of another return to racing were slim.

"Daniel is just a brilliant character, a brilliant human being -- he lights up a room when he walks into it," Horner added. "I hope he stays around the sport.

"We've made it very clear that we want him to remain in an ambassadorial capacity with the team, and of course one never really knows. I mean, if Liam doesn't get the job done, if Checo doesn't get the job done, we know what Daniel's capability is.

"But I think for him, he knows, at the age that he's at, he's had a great career. So many memories.

"The most disgusting thing ever was drinking champagne out of his sweaty boot [as [part of Ricciardo's race-winning celebrations]! But he made it his own and he got some incredible people to drink the champagne from his sweaty shoe."

- Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor

BREAKING: LIAM LAWSON TO TAKE OVER FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON

 

LAWSON IS A TALENT FOR THE FUTURE, SAYS HORNER

New Zealand's Liam Lawson has a future in Formula One after doing an outstanding job as stand-in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Friday.

The 21-year-old will be starting his fourth race in Japan this weekend and has already produced the Red Bull-owned team's best result of the season so far with ninth place in Singapore last Sunday.

AlphaTauri look likely to continue with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda and experienced Australian Ricciardo in 2024, although there has yet to be an announcement, leaving Lawson's future unclear.

Apart from AlphaTauri, Williams are the only team with a possible vacancy if they decide not to retain U.S. rookie Logan Sargeant.

"I think he's done an outstanding job," Horner told reporters at Suzuka when asked about Lawson.

LAWSON AIMS FOR ANOTHER STRONG SHOWING AT FAMILIAR SUZUKA

Reuters 

Stand-in Liam Lawson is hoping for another strong weekend with AlphaTauri when he returns to familiar Suzuka for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old New Zealander, who will be racing for the fourth time in place of injured Australian Daniel Ricciardo at the Red Bull-owned team, scored his first points with ninth in Singapore last Sunday.

He already has experience of Suzuka from competing in Japanese Super Formula this year.

FIA FORMULA 2 | F2 | LIAM LAWSON WINS THE SPRINT RACE IN ABU DHABI