“Lawson makes it 100 percent in F1”

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Even if DTM captain Liam Lawson seems to be looking at his fingers at the current Formula 1 poker game for the 2021 season, DTM boss Gerhard Berger sees Red Bull’s 19-year talent very clearly. Long term in the first class of motorsport.

“I’m 100% sure Liam Lawson will make it to Formula One,” Berger told Motorsport-Total.com.

“Maybe not next year, because I think he needs more experience in Formula 2, but for me he is a Formula 1 candidate for sure,” said the Austrian, who attended the Formula 1 weekend at Monza, asking many people in the Formula 1 circuit how NZ’s performance was in the Displacement Tracking Matrix.

Berger jokes: “Albon wouldn’t have made it without DTM”

With Lawson’s AF Corse teammate Alex Albon back, the DTM chief is sure that DTM will serve as a springboard to Formula 1. “Now I can say that Albon wouldn’t have made it to Formula 1 again if he hadn’t started in DTM,” Berger jokes. “No kidding, but it shows that a driver who hasn’t been in Formula 1 for a year can keep his name high with DTM.”

Albon kept his fitness at Ferrari for a year after retiring as Max Verstappen’s DTM teammate. In 2022, the Thais will return to Formula 1 with a British passport with the Williams team. For Gerhard Berger, it is no surprise that the DTM is interesting to Formula 1 candidates because it guarantees a very professional environment. This applies to both drivers and young pilots who, like Albon, are looking for a temporary solution.

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© DTM

Alexander Albon quickly found his way into the Motion Tracking Array Zoom

In addition, with his DTM victory at the Nürburgring, Albon was able to prove that he is adaptable and can deliver the best performances using completely different vehicles.

What role does the Motion Tracking Matrix play by Liam Lawson?

For Berger, this is a clear sign of quality, because there are drivers who “can drive anything. And that’s exactly what makes a good driver,” as the DTM chief explains. Lawson also provided this evidence.

In the 2021 season, Red Bull Junior will compete in Formula 2, where they currently sit eighth with one win, and in DTM, where the 19-year-old leads the standings with three wins. But what role does the DTM for youngsters play?

© Motorsport Pictures

Liam Lawson is very excited about the opportunity to compete in DTM Zoom

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to start in a championship like this,” Lawson told Motorsport-Total.com. “This may not be the career ladder that leads to Formula 1, but DTM is still a huge championship. It is much bigger than Formula 2. I had to learn a lot first because everything was new to me, but I am very happy to drive here.”

According to Lawson, Red Bull is also benefiting from New Zealand’s participation in the GT3 Championship. Lawson doesn’t know if starting in DTM will be an advantage for him on his way to Formula 1. “But it doesn’t hurt me either. It’s important for me to compete in this championship because the level is very high and it’s just a great opportunity.”

More racing experience with DTM

As the Formula 1 Junior series will use a new format with significantly longer breaks between races in the 2021 season, Lawson can use the DTM to stay on everyone’s lips. Plus, there are enough free weekends to race along with the junior single-seat class. “Everyone else hasn’t been in the cockpit for two months while I’m driving the whole time,” he says.

The fact that the Formula 2 and GT3 cars of the DTM differ greatly does not bother the young man, because it enables him to improve his adaptability. However, it is not easy to get started again in Formula 2 after the DTM race at the weekend. One reason is the tires, higher downforce and the lack of driving aids like ABS in the monoposto series. Over the course of the season, Lawson used to change.