Lawson: Cassidy advice “huge” part of early Super Formula success

Red Bull junior Lawson goes into this weekend’s fifth round of the season at Sugo leading the championship following his second win last time out at Autopolis with Team Mugen.

Should be go on to win the title, he would become Super Formula’s first non-Japanese champion since Cassidy, who took the 2019 crown driving for TOM’S before departing the series at the end of the following season.

Lawson believes his regular communications with Cassidy - with whom he shared a garage for the final round of the DTM in 2021 driving for the Red Bull-backed AF Corse team - were vital to getting his Super Formula campaign off to a winning start at Fuji in April. 

“Nick has been a huge part of this to be honest, he’s been a big help,” Lawson told Motorsport.com. “I don’t think I would be where I am now without his help. 

Cassidy is also the last driver to win the Super Formula title with Toyota power

“He messaged me when he found out I was coming here, he was on the phone straight away to say, ‘Let’s find a way to make this work for you’.

“Usually I’ll give him a debrief after a session, and he’ll give me some ideas to try, some things that worked for him when he drove at certain circuits. Sometimes I tell him what I am thinking about trying and he’ll be like, ‘no, don’t do that!’”

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Lawson’s success in Super Formula has only fed speculation that he could be in line to land a seat in Formula 1 with AlphaTauri, particularly with incumbent Nyck de Vries under some pressure after a shaky start to his rookie season.

At Autopolis, Lawson denied suggestions that he could be in line to take over from de Vries as early as this season, insisting his focus remains on seeing out his title bid in Japan.

The 21-year-old is still a regular visitor to the F1 paddock in his capacity as Red Bull reserve driver, but admits that his spells away in Japan have helped him to keep his focus and not get caught up in the latest speculation about his future.

“It’s definitely a different feeling to being in Europe,” Lawson said. “I feel at times quite disconnected from it and that can be nice at times, because when you’re in the F1 paddock the whole time, it can become a lot. 

“For me it’s a good balance racing [in Japan] but travelling back and working with the F1 team. I am enjoying myself a lot this year, a lot more than any other year I have raced.”

Lawson embraces engineer Tomo Koike after his latest win at Autopolis