Liam Lawson and the difficult road to F1: “My parents sold their house to let me race”. Liam Lawson shared the challenging journey that led him to debut in F1 .

A special Christmas
This year’s Christmas holidays were undoubtedly special for Liam Lawson, who was officially announced by Red Bull as a full-time driver for the 2025 season, alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen. The young New Zealander has already competed in 11 F1 Grands Prix between 2023 and 2024, always stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo. The upcoming season will mark his first full year in F1. However, the path to reaching Formula 1 and securing a Red Bull seat was anything but easy for Liam Lawson.

An uphill journey
“My parents and my entire family had to invest a lot, especially during the early years of karting,” Liam Lawson said during his interview on the Talking Bull podcast. “My parents sold their house to allow me to keep racing. It’s incredible. They gave everything to let me compete, even in go-karts, because they are very expensive.”

Liam Lawson then climbed the ranks in single-seater championships, winning the 2019 Toyota Racing Series and not limiting himself to the traditional F3 and F2 path. In addition to these categories, the New Zealander also finished second in both the DTM and the Japanese Super Formula championships. His dedication to his goal never wavered, even at the cost of leaving school to focus entirely on his racing commitments.

“I was excited to fight for my dream. There are always tough moments, but I never questioned whether it was too hard or if I wanted to go back home,” Liam Lawson explained. “When I was a kid and loved Formula 1, I watched the championship every year and dreamed of being there.”