DTM
Liam Lawson: From DTM Rookie to title contender in one weekend
Red Bull Junior Team driver Liam Lawson was the sensation of DTM’s season opener at Monza. As he got the taste of winning, his next goal is the championship: “As always”, he explains.
What a start! Red Bull Junior Team driverLiam Lawson set the pace at the first round of the new-look DTM at Monza and won the opening race outright. With an AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 carrying additional weight after his win the previous day, Lawson fought at the front in Race Two until he was caught in a collision and dropped to last place. Hunting down the field from behind, he made it up to 14th but scoring more points was impossible.
The young New Zealander heads to the next two races at Lausitzring in Germany this weekend second in the standings on 27 points. He will be aiming for another podium finish there as will his teammate Alex Albon in the #23 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, in the colours of Red Bull’s premium fashion brand AlphaTauri who sits in fifth with 18 points.
“Winning in Monza in a Ferrari in the first race of the season is like a dream come true," Lawson admitted. “I could be really happy with what we've done. I didn't know before exactly where we stand. It was not easy. But I got along with the team and the car very well. The guys were really helpful. The balance of the car was great. Even with the additional weight in Race Two, I was happy with the speed. Unfortunately, we could not maximise the effort because of the incident.”
The Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse pit crews were the fastest in DTM
© Julian Kroehl / Red Bull Content Pool
Alex Albon prepares for his DTM debut
© Julian Kroehl / Red Bull Content Pool
Moda Italiana: Alex Albon piloting the eye-catching AlphaTauri DTM car
© Julian Kroehl / Red Bull Content Pool
Perfect pit stops
Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse brought F1 form and discipline to Lawson and Albon’s pit stops, performing all of them in less than eight seconds – one to two seconds faster than any other team.
“AF Corse are really a great bunch of people. It was quite interesting to work with Ferrari as well. I know Red Bull is in F1 in opposition to Ferrari and here we are together, quite an interesting situation. With their help, it was not too difficult for me to drive a GT3 car," Lawson said.
Liam Lawson racing the AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo in the DTM at Monza
© Julian Kroehl / Red Bull Content Pool
And he acknowledges the high level of competition in DTM where he’s racing against a field of experienced pros: “The comparison with them was something new for me. In the drivers’ briefing, they mentioned they want to make racing as clean as possible. Even though I had the incident in Race Two, I enjoyed the driving in Monza.”
As always, any Red Bull Junior will report after a race weekend to Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor and head of driver development who is thus well informed about what was going on.
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Driving an F1 car for the first time
Before packing up for Lausitzring, Lawson got his first taste of F1. Driving Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 championship-winning RB7 at the UK’s biggest motorsport event, the Goodwood Festival of Speed. “It’s something I’ll never forget," Lawson admitted enthusiastically. But the young Kiwi was to have a more frustrating time in F2 at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, while he scored points in the two Sprint Races, he missed out in the Feature Race by one position (11th). “It was a difficult weekend and we didn't have the pace and I honestly don't know why,” he said. “In the races, I had more tyre degradation than those around us and we couldn't fix that, so it was a battle. We got some points, but it certainly wasn't what we were looking for.”
Liam Lawson in the paddock at Goodwood Festival of Speed
© Fred Murray / Red Bull Content Pool
Lawson now turns his attention to the Lausitzring. DTM organisers have set a track using the six degrees-banked Turn 1 of the tri-oval in the new layout instead of going the old way with a sharp left-hander after the finish straight into the infield. The length of the track remains almost unchanged at 4,57km. Unlike Monza, spectators will be allowed in. “I like the Lausitzring very much. We tested there in pre-season and I am looking forward to going there,” Lawson said. “It will be interesting after the change of layout for the races which I think has never been used before. I guess the idea was to create closer racing.”
Driving ambition
“I go into every race with the ambition to win. Therefore, I want to fight for the DTM championship. It will be very tough, and I have still a lot to learn in the ongoing season, but I am sure we can be title contenders," Lawson said.
Even after Goodwood, he’s avoiding thinking about his long-term goal of racing in F1. Lawson is not expecting a “real” look into current F1 by driving a Friday morning practice at an upcoming Grand Prix: “For me, there’s no talking about this yet. First, I have to secure the necessary points for a super licence. But until then, there’s nothing going on. I am focused on what I am doing right now in two championships.”