Horner following Lawson progress 'closely' as 2024 decision looms

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner says he is following Liam Lawson’s progress closely as a decision looms regarding AlphaTauri’s driver line-up for next year.

Lawson, who is Red Bull’s reserve driver, was called up to race for its sister AlphaTauri team at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The New Zealander replaced Daniel Ricciardo, who suffered a metacarpal fracture following a crash during Friday practice at Zandvoort.

Ricciardo too was a mid-season call-up as the eight-time Grand Prix winner took the seat previously occupied by Nyck de Vries, who was ousted after the race from Silverstone.

Ricciardo is aiming for a full-time comeback with the hope of ending his F1 career within the Red Bull family.

Lawson, meanwhile, is a contender for the seat at AlphaTauri next year, with Yuki Tsunoda expected to stay for a fourth season.

Red Bull offering chance to Lawson

Red Bull often has a great influence on the driver line-up decision at its sister team, and Horner has signalled that Lawon has a great chance to earn a drive.

"It’s a great opportunity for him," Horner told media including RacingNews365 of Lawson's chance.

"I mean, for any driver to get themselves in a Grand Prix car, you’ve got to make the most of it.

"This is a golden moment in his career, for him to demonstrate what he's capable of.

"We're obviously following his progress very closely. Daniel's misfortune was Liam's good fortune. So it’s down to him to make the best use of it."