Kiwi driver Liam Lawson has taken another step closer to Formula One, confirmed for a test drive with Italian team AlphaTauri at Abu Dhabi in December.
Lawson, 19, will test drive for AlphaTauri - the sister team of title contenders Red Bull - at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after a series of impressive performances in the German DTM series, which he leads.
The test appearances will see Lawson in the AlphaTauri car for the race weekend's first practice session.
The Kiwi has also caught the eye on more than one occasion in Formula Two, driving for Hitech Grand Prix. Lawson is a Red Bull junior driver.
Lawson claimed victory at Bahrain in his first race weekend and backed it up with another win in Monaco - but that was stripped, due to a technical infringement. The Kiwi is eighth in the driver's standings after six races, with three still to come.
Speaking to Sport1, AlphaTauri principal Franz Tost confirmed Lawson would join the team at Abu Dhabi as part of the Young Driver Test programme, while F2 teammate Juri Vips would do the same with Red Bull.
"Liam Lawson and Juri Vips will contest the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi," Tost says. "Lawson with us [AlphaTauri]."
With both Red Bull and AlphaTauri locking in their driver pairings for the 2022 Formula One season, Lawson has no room to step up from F2 next year.
Lawson will likely return to Formula Two for a second season.
AlphaTauri - formerly Toro Rosso - was the team of Lawson's compatriot, Brendon Hartley, the most recent New Zealander to drive in Formula One.
