Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson appears set to race in Super Formula next year after comments made by junior team boss Helmut Marko indicated so.
Marko was quoted by German magazine Auto Motor und Sport as saying the Kiwi will combine the Japanese competition with his Formula 1 reserve duties for 2023.
Lawson will join the Mugen outfit, Red Bull reviving their Junior Driver partnership with the team which previously ran from 2017 until 2021.
That partnership has seen the likes of Pierre Gasly, Dan Ticktum and Pato O’Ward compete in the series.
Red Bull ran in partnership with Team Goh this year, however only managed to finish seventh in the teams standings. In contrast, Team Mugen, operating two Honda-powered cars, won the title without Red Bull’s support.
The teammate of Lawson is expected to be Japanese driver Tomoki Nojiri, a two-time winner of the series.
The Kiwi currently sits seventh in the F2 standings with one round to go, having claimed three sprint victories in 2022.
With the exit of Gasly from AlphaTauri, the New Zealander was an outside chance for a full-time F1 drive in 2023. This was not to be, the more experienced Nyck de Vries given the wheel.
A strong 2023, however, could elevate Lawson into contention for a drive the following season.
New Zealand has experienced success in the series before when Nick Cassidy claimed the 2019 title.
The Super Formula season will begin in April at Fuji, and will feature two rounds at that venue and at Suzuka. Other tracks included on the calendar are Autopolis, Mobility Resort Motegi and Sportsland SUGO.
