F1: Liam Lawson to drive for AlphaTauri in young drivers test

Liam Lawson will be behind the wheel of an AlphaTauri Formula 1 car in Abu Dhabi later this year.

The Kiwi teenager has caught the eye of several Formula 1 bigwigs, prompting AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost to pick him for the young drivers test.

Lawson is eighth in the Formula 2 championship in what is his rookie year, having won his debut race in Bahrain for Hitech.

The 19-year-old also won in his first outing in the prestigious German touring car championship (DTM) in June, roaring home in Monza for Ferrari to become the youngest DTM race winner in history.

However, he’s likely to have a second season in F2 before he is seriously considered for a F1 seat in 2023, given Red Bull and AlphaTauri have filled their seats for 2022.

Formula 1 is implementing mandatory practice sessions for rookies from next year, meaning teams must put young drivers in one of their cars during select sessions.

Tost confirmed Lawson would feature in some of those sessions.