Liam Lawson, Just how impressive has he been in Japan?

Safe to say, Liam Lawson has got his Super Formula season off to a flying start in Japan, already securing a win on debut in Fuji and making history by being the first rookie to ever win on debut in the championship. This is nothing out of the ordinary for Lawson as he has emulated the same results in his first outings in F2, F3, F3 Asia Series, F4, DTM, TRS-FT50 and TRS-FT60. An incredible feat of results for a junior driver that has built up his hype in the past two seasons. We dive into the question of just how his results are fairing in Japan, how well he has adapted to Super Formula and what the future could be for a driver with so much potential.

There have been three rounds in the championship so far and the classic Super Formula wheel-to-wheel drama has been ever present throughout, Lawson has been in and amongst it in all the rounds this year, In race 1 at Fuji he started P3 and immediately got his elbows out into the tight left-hander of turn 3, showing his competitors that he won’t be a push over this season. He went for the undercut on his Team Mugen teammate Tomoki Nojiri two times and last season's champion and ended up overtaking him around the outside of the long righthander of 100R to claim the lead from his teammate. The race then ended under a safety car giving Lawson the win after a superbly managed and run race from the youngster. Heading into race 2 on a high it was a mixed bag, qualifying P4 and staying quiet and under the radar for most of the race. He got a penalty for holding up the field on the way into the pits which ended his chance of a podium after the pit stops. Nojiri was on fire however and he won the race from Sho Tsuboi whilst Lawson finished P5.

Round 3 of the championship was at Suzuka and another new track for Lawson but it followed more of the same story from race 2. Starting P8 after a sub-par qualifying, he stormed through the midfield and pulled a stunning move on Tomoki Nojiri, a late move up the inside into the final chicane that was sadly not broadcasted on the main feed. Drama up at the front as after the pit stops pole man Toshiki Oyu was fighting with Tomoki Nojir for the lead out of the pits, a clumsy collision between the pair found them both in the barriers and out of the race. After the safety car, Lawson was fighting for a podium but couldn’t hold back Ryo Hirakawa’s Team Impul car at the restart and Lawson ended up finishing P4.

Some who may be unfamiliar with the Super Formula series may be surprised that Lawson hasn’t been more dominant in his short time there, but for foreigners going into the championship, it is a real acid test and one where you can show your worth with a grid full of pedigree. Some examples and statistics as to why Liam’s results have been so impressive is putting it simply due to him being a rookie in a field full of seasoned veterans, the top 5 in the championship (excluding Lawson) all have 4+ years experience in Super Formula compared to Liam, so straight away he has far less experience in a Super Formula car. Furthermore, these drivers not only take part in Super Formula but also in Super GT, the grand touring car series which is the top level of sports car racing in Japan. They attend the same circuits as Super Formula, another disadvantage to Lawson who has significantly less running and experience on these circuits.

So not being outside the top 5 in your first 3 races in Super Formula in a grid as competitive and experienced as this one is a huge feat for Liam. As a Red Bull junior delivering and showing something in every race you do is of absolute importance in the company's cutthroat philosophy that we have seen over the years. But Liam can learn a lot from his peers such as Pierre Gasly, who also entered Super Formula with Team Mugen in 2017, he won two races in a row at Motegi and Autopolis before his season was cut short by 2 races due to Typhoon Lan, meaning Gasly missed out on the championship by half a point. But the important part, Super Formula gave him the platform to prove his skills and talent in a seriously competitive grid in a part of the world that is unique and new on and off the track, a serious test for any foreign young driver but one that can be so rewarding.