Liam Lawson will race alongside Red Bull Formula 1 outcast Alex Albon in this year’s DTM, with the Kiwi also expected to dovetail a campaign in FIA Formula 2.
The Red Bull Junior only made his GT3 debut in last year’s New Zealand Endurance Championship finale at Highlands Motorsport Park with Track Tec Racing.
Driving an Audi R8, Lawson reset the Cromwell circuit’s unofficial lap record in his first-ever outing.
Now, the youngster will race in a two-car Red Bull-backed outfit with Albon confirmed as his new teammate.
It will mean 2021 will be a massive season for Lawson, with a promotion to Formula 2 with Hitch GP all-but-confirmed.
Changes to the F2 schedule means there are no clashes between the DTM and F2 for 2021.
“The DTM with a high-class field and GT3 sportscars is an interesting platform and a real challenge, both for successful race drivers like Alex Albon as for our Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson,” said Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant.
DTM has had to reinvent itself for 2021 following the exit of Mercedes and Audi. It means the former Class One regulations have been shelved and made way for a more simplified GT3-based series.
There has been no word on what manufacturer Lawson and Albon will run. But both are the first two drivers formally announced for DTM’s inaugural GT3 campaign.
However, the series’ reigning champion Rene Rast is one of the names tipped for a drive.
Nine rounds have been confirmed for the 2021 DTM championship, with two races at each event.
The opening round will be at the newly built Igora Drive circuit in Russia on May 29-30.
great
Looking forward to this, hope we can get some TV coverage.