Marko can be satisfied: Red Bull junior Lawson wins on debut in Japan

Liam Lawson has made a rock-solid start to the season in Japanese Super Formula. The Red Bull Racing junior, and also reserve driver for the Austrian formation, managed to take an immediate victory on his debut. In a direct duel, he handled two-time world champion and teammate Tomoki Nojiri.

Lawson managed to work his way up to second place on the eighth lap of the race via a strong restart after a safety car. Through a quick pit stop and accompanying undercut, he grabbed the lead. The New Zealander had a two-second lead over Nojiri after 41 laps.

Lawson's performance is impressive, as European drivers generally only really come to the fore later in the season. Indeed, many young drivers have to get used to the way things work in Japan and the language barrier is not always easy either. This is also the reason Helmut Marko sent Pierre Gasly to Japan earlier: to mature and also be competitive in an environment where it is mainly hard work and less comes naturally.

Lawson is seemingly adapting quickly and seems to be in place at Mugen, his new team. Incidentally, never before has a driver won the race immediately on his debut in Super Formula.