Kiwi duo join forces for Euro team
Two Kiwi drivers will be behind the wheel when Red Bull returns to touring car competition in Germany this year.
Liam Lawson and Nick Cassidy will race in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) as Red Bull supports a pair of Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 cars prepped by the AF Corse team.
Lawson, pictured above, will run a full season in one cockpit, while Cassidy will share driving duties in a second car with British-Thai driver Alexander Albon.
After winning two races in F3 last season, Lawson will run a dual program in 2021 as he is also competing in the F2 campaign.
The 18-year-old says: “GT racing is going to be very new to me. I am super excited for this opportunity in such a high-level series with world class drivers, and to team up with someone who has top experience like Alex.
“I'm also super excited to drive the Ferrari.”
Cassidy, pictured below, is a two-time champion in the Toyota Racing Series with titles in 2012 and 2013.
The 26-year-old, who is now based in Europe, will drive in the DTM and launch his maiden campaign in FIA Formula E this year.
The line-up marks a return for Red Bull to the DTM after two seasons away. Its most recent involvement in the series was with two-time champion Mattias Ekstrom during his last years in the category.
Amato Ferrari, AF Corse team principal, says, “We have reached the agreement to work with Red Bull with great enthusiasm. We have just one ambition: victory. Considering the brands involved, all the requirements are there to aspire to be successful.”
Gerhard Berger, boss of the DTM, welcomes the presence of three “high-class drivers” in one team.
“Formula 1 driver and podium finisher Alex Albon, GT professional and multiple race-winner Nick Cassidy and young talent Liam Lawson in one team – it is the perfect mix, which will keep the excitement level high in the upcoming DTM season,” he explains.
The DTM 2021 championship will feature eight race weekends across Europe, including four in Germany. Monza in Italy hosts the season opener on June 18-20, and the campaign ends at Hockenheim, Germany, on October 1-3.
