Lawson: How esports is becoming a 'realistic' entry into F1

Liam Lawson made his Formula One debut in 2023, when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo for a brief stint after the Australian driver sustained a broken hand in a crash during one of the free practice sessions at the Dutch Grand Prix. He also scored his first set of points after finishing ninth in the Singapore Grand Prix, where he out-qualified world champion Max Verstappen. Now, he has returned to being the reserve driver for Red Bull and its junior team. 

Speaking to the BBC, Lawson was questioned over whether with the rise of sims and online racing, it could be a way to bring people into F1. "It's becoming much more of a way than it's ever been and I think every year it gets closer and closer, especially with esports and online sim racing," Lawson explained. "It's very high level, just as high level in terms of the driving. If I get in the sim versus a pro sim racer, they will destroy me. It's becoming more realistic so it's definitely a way of sort of stepping in."

Could esports drivers step onto the grid?

Whilst most drivers traditionally enter the sport through karting and work their way through the competitions, it seems esports could soon become a new entry route. Although Lawson doesn't think it could replace karting, it certainly could become an alternative route in: "I don't know if it will ever be more because everyone will still be go-kart racing," he said. 

"I think it's definitely going to be higher. There's going to be more drivers coming from esports and sim racing. I personally have a friend who's just done esports in his life and we did a track day together. He had everything, the natural feeling of the car, what was happening, and that came from esports which was the first time I had seen it firsthand," the New Zealander concluded.