(Motorsports news) Lawson exited Super Formula after barely losing the championship to Ritomo Miyata in last week’s Suzuka finale, as he made his return to the Japanese series after five grand prix starts for AlphaTauri in lieu of an injured Daniel Ricciardo. Despite making an impression on the F1 paddock while filling in for Ricciardo, the New Zealander was passed over for a full-time drive with the team in 2024.

Instead, Lawson will be a full-time backup driver for both of Red Bull’s F1 teams next year, ruling out a return to Super Formula. Despite not knowing when his next race would be, the 21-year-old is attempting to see the silver lining in Red Bull wanting him to be on call in the case of an injury or driver rearrangement. “Obviously, I want to be racing, but the goal is to be in F1,” Lawson.

“It’s never nice to only be able to watch, but I’ll try to make the most of the opportunity to prepare, as I have done up until now. As much as I would like to be racing a car, Red Bull has determined that it is the best thing for me right now.” They want me to be completely focused on being ready at all times.”

Lawson’s Team Mugen seat, which he shared with two-time champion Tomoki Nojiri and outscored by half a point, appears to be going to current F2 driver Ayumu Iwasa for 2024. “I’ll definitely miss racing in Super Formula,” remarked Lawson. “Especially having not won the title here, it’s something I would have liked to accomplish, but that’s the way it is.” Lawson emphasized how beneficial his Super Formula experience had been in making the most of his F1 appearances, claiming it would not have been feasible if he had been coming from a half-season layoff.

“It’s been exactly what Red Bull told me it would be,” Lawson remarked of his racing experience in Japan. “I knew the car was faster and closer to F1, but it’s also the team size, working with a manufacturer like Honda, and the competitiveness of the racing. There are a lot of similarities between what we’re doing with this car and what we’re doing on the car in F1 simulator.” That has been a significant element of my preparation for F1.

“I definitely wouldn’t have been as prepared for F1 as I was if I hadn’t done the first part of the Super Formula season and had gone straight from F2.” “Looking at the guys who are making that transition, you can tell it’s a big challenge, even for a full season.” This championship has helped to close the gap.”

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