Liam Lawson says making his Formula 1 debut midway through the 2023 Formula 1 season would be an “extremely difficult” scenario for him.
Lawson, who is part of the Red Bull junior programme, has been linked with a drive at AlphaTauri for 2024.
The Red Bull sister team dropped Nyck de Vries following the British Grand Prix last month and called up Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of the campaign.
Lawson is currently racing full-time in the Super Formula series in Japan, and is one point away from leading the Drivers’ standings with three races remaining.
The New Zealander, who took part in three FP1 sessions last year, says not being handed the vacancy at AlphaTauri has had little impact on him
“To be honest, I don’t really think it does much for me; it doesn’t change much for me,” he told Speedcafe.
“Basically, my target this season, my expectations from Red Bull, is to go to Super Formula, to try and win races and try and fight for the championship and finish the year out before looking at Formula 1.
“That’s what I’m still doing. To jump in mid-season would be extremely difficult.
“With where Scuderia AlphaTauri is at the moment, having someone experienced like Daniel was definitely helpful for the team.
“Having someone who’s not been around before would be not so beneficial to them; I’d be learning double-time to try and catch up to somebody else.
“So for me, it wouldn’t have been the right thing to do, so it doesn’t change anything for me. I’m still focused on pushing in Super Formula and trying to land a seat next year.”
Lawson has been linked with a 2024 move to the team – however it is not clear if he would partner Ricciardo, who is aiming for a Red Bull return, or Yuki Tsunoda, who is enjoying his strongest year in F1.
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