Lawson likely to make FP1 debut at AlphaTauri in Belgium

It looks like after the summer break we can already expect the first new name in an official F1 weekend. AlphaTauri is planning to put Liam Lawson in one of its cars during the first free practice session in Belgium.

From 2022 onwards, every team will have to put a rookie in the car during FP1 twice a year. This will allow young up-and-coming drivers to make metres in a Formula 1 car of the current year for the first time during an F1 weekend.

Formula 2 driver and Red Bull junior Lawson looks set to take over from Pierre Gasly or Yuki Tsunoda at Spa-Francorchamps and make his F1 debut on an official weekend. Previously, the New Zealander drove in the Young Driver Test. "We plan to run Liam Lawson in FP1 in Spa," Franz Tost is quoted as saying by MotorsportWeek.com.

AlphaTauri is one of the teams whose 2023 line-up is not yet known. Gasly has already signed his contract for next year, but Tsunoda's future is still uncertain. Lawson is one of the main candidates to perhaps take over this seat.