Lawson to run RB in test

In brief

Lawson to run RB in test

Laurent Mekies, RB team principal, says that reserve driver Liam Lawson – who raced five times for the team in 2023 – will be running in one of their cars in a test next week.

“It’s a very privileged situation to be in, because not always do you have actually the next guy [Lawson] ready to go,” Mekies said.

“And in that case you really know they are ready to go – they’ve raced five races with this team last year, he has been completely embedded with us since the beginning of the season. He does all the sim work, including at-race support. So it’s very good to know that he’s sort of ready to go. Of course it’s frustrating for racing drivers not to be in the car. He’s been driving the Red Bull a couple of weeks ago, he’s going to drive our car next week in testing. There are not so many opportunities, but we try to keep him warm and happy.”

McLaren sign 13-year-old karting prodigy

McLaren have announced they have signed 13-year-old karting prodigy and reining world junior karting champions Dries Van Langendonck as the youngest member of their driver development programme.

Van Langendonck currently races in the OK-Junior category of the FIA’s European Karting Championship. McLaren’s F1 business operations director Stephanie Carlin said Van Langendonck has shown “huge potential” in his karting career.

“We will now be working closely throughout Dries’ development as he takes the first step in our talent pipeline and joins the McLaren family,” said Carlin.

Hadjar and Antonelli reprimanded

Formula 2 championship leader Isack Hadjar and Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli both received a reprimand from the stewards after being considered to have ‘driven in a manner potentially dangerous to others’ in qualifying.

Both drivers had just completed flying laps within seconds of each other and had backed off on cooldown laps. However, both Ritomo Miyata and Zane Maloney behind them were attempting consecutive push laps, which neither Hadjar nor Antonelli were warned about.

Miyata approached Hadjar at speed at the exit of Raidillon and was forced to move off the racing line to pass the Red Bull junior. Moments later, Maloney caught Antonelli in much the…