After two seasons in Formula 2, Red Bull protege LiamLawson30 will head to Japan next year as team-mate to reigning Super Formula champion Tomoki Nojiri at Mugen. JamieKlein_ hears about his plans to use it as a springboard to F1 📝
It’s been five years since Pierre Gasly finished runner-up in Super Formula on his way to a Toro Rosso F1 drive, but his 2017 campaign is still looked back upon with fondness in the Japanese series’ paddock.
“The biggest thing I understood from watching Super Formula is how good the local drivers are,” Lawson tells Autosport in an exclusive interview at Honda's Tokyo headquarters. “Just because you’ve raced in Formula 2 or been involved in Formula 1, it doesn’t mean you’ll come here and do well immediately. In fact, most guys don’t. Even Pierre struggled for his first few races.
The language barrier and resulting communication difficulties are often cited as one of the biggest barriers facing ‘gaijin’ racers coming to Japan, but Lawson says that Mugen has made a special effort to ensure that this won’t be the case next season.“The team has done a really good job to ensure that the guys I am working most closely with can all speak English, and are good at explaining things to me.
It’s a double-edged sword, because it could mean Mugen losing its pre-eminence, although the change to the pecking order is unlikely to be quite as dramatic as it was in 2019. Either way, Lawson will have just one more test at Suzuka before the season starts, and he’ll be heading to the opening double-header at Fuji having never driven there previously.
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