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New Zealander Liam Lawson is set to make his Formula 1 race weekend debut later this year with Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Part of the Red Bull junior driver programme, Lawson is this year campaigning in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Carlin.
He won last year’s season-opening race in Bahrain while driving for Hitech, and ultimately finished ninth in the competition won by Australian Oscar Piastri.
For the coming season, it is mandated that F1 teams field a young driver in selected opening practice sessions.
AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost has confirmed that Lawson will be their man for those occasions.
“It will be Liam Lawson,” he confirmed when asked by Speedcafe.com who his team would field.
“Of course this is also a decision from Red Bull. Currently the drivers are Liam Lawson and [Juri] Vips.
“I think that Vips will drive for Red Bull Racing and Lawson for Scuderia AlphaTauri.
“He was also testing with us last year in Abu Dhabi. He did a good job.
“He is driving this year in Formula 2 [with Carlin] and then we will see what are the next steps.”
At McLaren, things are less certain.
The operation doesn’t have a junior driver ready, though does have candidates across its broader racing programme.
Headlining that list is Pato O’Ward, who had his first F1 outing at the end-of-season Abu Dhabi test last December.
However, the Mexican driver is committed to IndyCar, which may preclude his participation.
“We haven’t finalised our plans yet,” Andreas Seidl admitted when asked by Speedcafe.com who the team would field.
“What is new for us as well, this year if we decide that we want to do it, we have the possibility as well to run an old car.
“Last year’s car, due to the change in regulations and after our switch to the Mercedes power unit, which gives opportunity also to say, give some test days as well for potential candidates.
“But again, we haven’t made our plans up yet.
“I also would not expect a lot of Free Practice 1 running from young guys in the first half of the season, or first third, let’s say.
“Therefore, we still have a bit of time.”
