Penalty costs Lawson podium in Japan

Liam Lawson had an absolute dream start to his adventure in Japanese Super Formula. The New Zealander, one of Red Bull Racing's reserve driver, won the opening race of the season on Saturday on his debut. A day later, there was less reason for joy. Lawson received a time penalty and tumbled off the podium as a result.

On the Fuiji circuit, Lawson initially finished third, behind Tomoki Nojiri and Sho Tsuboi. In the end, the colleague of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez was classified fifth, having left too big a gap to his predecessor during a safety car situation. Lawson had tried to create a big enough gap between himself and Mugen teammate Nojiri, who drove second behind Toshiki Oyu in the early stages. Both could thus make their mandatory pit stops behind the safety car on lap 10 and not lose any time.

After the race, Lawson told Japanese television he felt the five-second time penalty was partly unjustified. Indeed, the Red Bull junior thought Oyu went too much from driving slowly to accelerating, only to take his foot off the pedal again. Lawson qualified that as dangerous driving and would therefore have taken extra distance. In any case, the race organisers did not agree with the New Zealander.

Nevertheless, Lawson can look back on the opening weekend of the season with a good feeling. Never before had a rookie managed to take the win immediately in his first race in Super Formula. Moreover, in Fuji he immediately showed he is a great candidate for the title.