Liam Lawson to be a Red Bull back-up driver for F1 in 2023

Kiwi racer Liam Lawson is back in Aotearoa for a relaxing Christmas with his family in Pukekohe.

"It's always a funny feeling landing in Auckland. When I touch down, it's a nice feeling," he said.

However, the 20-year-old has little time to stand still as he prepares to be a full-time driver with Team Mugen in Japan's Super Formula series, and now the current top reserve driver for Red Bull and Alpha Tauri.

It's understood that he's the front-runner for the back-up position and has been given preference over Australian veteran racer Daniel Riccardo, who also signed as a reserve for the team.

Lawson had already been tipped to be a frontline F1 driver in 2023 after appearing in practice sessions this year.

Now, after an up-and-down season in Formula 2, his full-time commitment was announced with Team Mugen last week.

He told 1News that he looks forward to his new partnership after a test drive in Japan.

"The car was really, really enjoyable to drive," he says. "The team's great to work with, [so] I'm excited."

Given his age and that he's already driven an F1 car at two events earlier in the year, he still has time to enter F1 full-time with 2024 being his next goal.