Red Bull youngster caught up in terrifying crash as F1 hopes dashed

Red Bull starlet Liam Lawson was involved in a horrific opening-lap crash during Sunday’s Super Formula race at Motegi, but the young driver thankfully walked away from the incident unharmed.

Lawson is believed to be in the running for an AlphaTauri seat next season along with the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, Ayumu Iwasa and Alex Palou, although the New Zealander’s hopes will likely come down to the performances of the incumbent second driver throughout the remainder of 2023.

Whether he gets the call-up in 2024 or 2025, Lawson’s eventual rise to F1 is believed to be a matter of when not if. The 21-year-old is currently the most highly-rated member of the Red Bull driver academy and has already completed FP1 sessions for both the senior team and AlphaTauri. 

Unfortunately for Lawson, he was caught up in a shocking lap-one collision during last weekend’s Super Formula race. The New Zealander was starting behind his Mugen team-mate and polesitter Tomoki Nojiri on the front row. 

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He enjoyed a strong launch before sending it around the outside of turn one and making a challenge for the lead. Lawson’s move didn’t stick, however, and the Red Bull junior was forced wide onto the curb, sending him into a spin across the track and into the path of the rest of the field. 

Plenty of drivers managed to swerve and miss the pirouetting Mugen car, but there was no such luck for Tadasuke Makino and Yuhi Sekiguchi, both of whom collided with Lawson’s car and found themselves airborne, heading for the barriers. 

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Makino was taken to hospital for precautionary checks after the incident, while Sekiguchi and B-Max driver Nobuharu Matsushita were also taken out of contention. Despite the severity of the incident, Lawson’s car remained functional and the New Zealander recovered to finish P13.

That P13 finish will do little to aid Lawson’s title hopes though with team-mate Nojiri storming to victory at Motegi. An eight-point haul for Ritomo Miyata means that the F1 hopeful is now locked into an intense, three-way battle for the championship ahead of the double-header at Suzuka in October. 

Lawson can, however, take some confidence from the fact that his future will be decided long before the Super Formula title is wrapped up. Another season on the sidelines is the expected outcome for the 21-year-old, but his performances in Japan this season have only served to boost his chances of an eventual F1 debut. 

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