Lawson and Hauger complete Hitech GP line-up

2019 vice-champions Hitech Grand Prix have completed their 2020 roster with the captures of Red Bull junior duo Liam Lawson and Dennis Hauger.

Lawson and Hauger will join Max Fewtrell at the British-based outfit, after the Renault Academy driver was announced earlier today. The addition of the three F1 juniors is a strong signal of intent from Hitech ahead of the 2020 campaign.

17-year-old Lawson made his F3 debut in 2019 and impressed in his first season on the Road to F1, finishing in 11th place with two podiums, despite being the youngest driver on the grid. Racing with MP Motorsport, Lawson scored a best finish of second at the Monza Sprint Race.

The Kiwi racer made the step up from ADAC F4, where he finished as the vice-champion with Van Amersfoort Racing. Lawson is the 2019 Toyota Racing Series Champion and has also enjoyed success in Euroformula Open, where he finished second. The 17-year-old has been a member of the Red Bull Academy since February 2019.

“It's a very cool opportunity with Hitech," Lawson commented. "I saw last year just how strong they are, it's a great team to be involved with.

"I had my year gaining experience last season, there was a lot to learn including how to manage the tyres etc. and it is time to make use of that now and it's obviously very important to be in a top team

"We want to be winning races and pushing hard for the championship. Of course it is an incredibly competitive series, there is no doubt it will be tough but the goal is certainly top three."

16-year-old Hauger will be competing in his first season of F3 and has been a part of the Red Bull junior programme since 2017. The Norwegian is highly rated, progressing rapidly in just two seasons of single-seater racing.

Hauger won the 2019 Italian F4 Championship with 12 wins from 21 races and finished as the ADAC F4 vice-champion in the same season. He was given his first taste of F3 machinery at post-season testing in Valencia and showed enough potential to prove that he’s ready for this level of racing.

“I’m super excited to start 2020 with Red Bull and Hitech GP,” Hauger said. “It’s a new step in my career and I cannot wait for the season to start and to work hard for our achievements! I would like to thank the team for this opportunity!”

Hitech finished as runners-up to PREMA in the 2019 season, as Jüri Vips and Leonardo Pulcini took four wins between them and helped them to score 223 points.

Team Principal Oliver Oakes added: “We are really pleased to have both Dennis and Liam join us in F3 this year and to continue our partnership with Red Bull for a further season, retaining the trust from them to work with their talented drivers. Their ability behind the wheel has continually impressed us so we're looking forward to a successful season ahead.”