Photo: Fotospeedy
Liam Lawson is an F1 junior contending to be a two-time grand prix winner by the end of 2019, and when asked if he’d like to enter the Walter Hayes Trophy his answer is: “If I can get a drive in it, then absolutely yes”
The 17-year-old New Zealander is currently racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and Euroformula. He’s a Red Bull junior, a two-time title winner down under and is mentored by 77-year-old on-track rival and multiple Formula Pacific champion Kenny Smith. But first, a little context as to how Lawson has got to where he is today.
“The New Zealand karting scene is very competitive,” Lawson begins. “It was very easy to be at different levels with other people depending on how much you spent. Back in karting I didn’t have loads of sponsorship, so it was quite difficult.
“I left karting at 12, at the point where it was getting too much and I needed sponsorship and that’s why I went into cars. It was very competitive. We had guys go overseas and win world titles, and the fact guys came in from Europe and Australia to race in New Zealand.”
Just into his teens, Lawson made his car racing debut in Formula First, a Kiwi evolution of Formula Vee.
“I won what is called the ‘Speedsport Scholarship’. That allowed me to do a season in FFirst, and it wasn’t too bad [a transition]. We were in a very difficult situation, the car I was driving wasn’t great. The best I could do was sixth in the standings [and the rookie title]. But it taught me a lot. Fighting, for everything you have in a car that’s underpowered and it basically meant when I went to a good car it became a lot easier.”
Lawson moved to his national FF1600 championship (“the best in the world”) for the 2016-17 season, and immediately gelled.
“FFirst is really, really slow. The FFord still to this day has got to be one of the most fun cars that I have ever driven.”
Lawson didn’t just drive during this time, as his entry was fielded by the tiny Liam Lawson Motorsport team.
Photo: Geoff Pitcher
“We actually did [run the car ourselves]. I was very lucky, my uncle bought the car for me. Then it was up to me, my dad and one of my friends to run the car. It taught me a lot, that year. I had to do a lot of the maintenance and stuff myself.”
Although Lawson Sr wouldn’t have been new to engineering, his son went in completely blind to the technical challenge.
“In fact during that season we didn’t have data or anything, it was literally just driving around,” explains Lawson. “We didn’t know barely any set-up changes. It was just about learning really to drive that car, because it teaches you more than any other car on basic things like car control.”
Mastering the basics didn’t seem to be an issue for Lawson, who won 14 of the 15 races and became the youngest ever FFord champion on his 15th birthday. Did the teenager expect to be that quick?
“No, not at all. I knew we had a good car, but after finishing the season in FFirst I had no idea what to expect.”
The NZ FFord title earned Lawson a ticket to the Road to Indy Shootout, but his career was ultimately headed towards Europe. He finished runner-up in both the Australian and ADAC Formula 4 championships, and dominated on his F3 debut last year.
He wasn’t sure where he would be racing when he entered the local Toyota Racing Series this January, but by beating Ferrari junior Marcus Armstrong to the the title and New Zealand Grand Prix he got the call from Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko that secured his 2019 drives.
One of Lawson’s career dreams was to race in TRS, and his NZ FFord experience served him well with the amount of circuit crossover. Last week, TRS revealed the more powerful car it will introduce for its 2020 season, and Lawson could return to defend his title.
Photo: John Cowpland / alphapix
A few days prior, the 17-year-old also became the first three-time winner of the Steel Memorial Trophy for Kiwi drivers under the age of 21.
Defending his TRS title would rule out a NZ FFord return, but a WHT debut could be on the cards if Dr Marko allowed it. And having discussed it with this journalist, we can confirm that there is no clash between the FF1600 classic and the Macau Grand Prix.
“If I got a drive it would be super fun,” confirms Lawson.
“It would be cheap as chips,” interjects a Euroformula team member, factoring in the budget saving if Lawson ran his own car again.
“Honestly, it would be, it’s a really…,” Lawson continues. “Out of most cars, if you haven’t – I believe everybody that goes up the ladder in cars has to drive FF1600. You have to do at least a season in FF1600 because it’s the only thing that teaches you how to properly drive.
“It’s got no aero, so it moves around a lot. It’s got decent power. You need to heel and toe it, and it gives you a feeling of the whole car. In F4 you don’t get that so much. I think everyone should definitely do FF1600.”