New Zealand’s upcoming race prodigy, Liam Lawson, has taken first place in the most recent Super Formula race at Japan’s Fuji Speedway, which puts him right on the doorstep of first place in the championship after his third win of the season.
When the lights went out at the Fuji Speedway, Liam Lawson sat patiently behind Tadasuke Makina in pole position who qualified nearly two-tenths faster than the 21-year-old Kiwi.
Fuji’s long straights, a clever strategy on the part of Team Mugen and Lawson’s outrageous pace on a set of cold tyres all played key roles in Lawson’s victory as he moves into second place in the championship, just one point behind the leader.
By the time the chequered flag fell, Lawson’s #15 Mugen was in first place, with Tadasuke Makina finishing in second 4.5 seconds behind the pace, and current table-topper, Ritomo Miyata.
The most recent result comes as proof of the Kiwi’s confidence in a single-seater and gives weight to the speculation that we could one day see him join the F1 paddock.
The Super Formula Championship standings show just one point between Miyata and Lawson, with three races left in the season, with the series playing a huge role in scouting the next-generation of drivers for the likes of Formula 1.
“It all came down to my out-lap and making the undercut,” Lawson said.
“Before the stop, honestly, I did not have a way to get past him. I could hold onto him but getting in a position to make a pass, I was struggling to do that,” he added.
“We decided to stop and they followed by my out lap was really quick so when he came out on cold tyres, I was right there and in a couple of corners, I had him.”
“I managed to hold it from there, it is never as easy as it looks, but we did it,” Lawson concluded.
