Liam Lawson’s career took a major turn a few days ago when it was officially announced that he would join Max Verstappen as Red Bull’s new teammate.
His return to Formula 1 as a substitute for the underperforming Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls convinced the leadership at Milton Keynes to offer him a seat in the Anglo-Austrian car for 2025, despite his limited experience.
Interestingly, Liam Lawson never abandoned his dream of breaking into F1, even when he proved highly competitive in 2021 behind the wheel of the Ferrari 488 GT3 for AF Corse, battling for the DTM title, which he lost (if not outright robbed of) in the final race of the season.
From there, his journey saw him compete in single-seaters, including Japan’s Super Formula, while remaining within the Red Bull orbit but never having a genuine opportunity to race on the F1 grid.
“The last six months have been crazy; looking back, I wasn’t sure how things would turn out, though I obviously hoped to secure an F1 seat,” Liam Lawson told Red Bull’s official channel – “Six months later, being in a position to join this team is exciting. Clearly, there will be a lot of work to do, but I’m really motivated to take it on.”
In total, the New Zealander has contested 11 GPs, which places him in an even more delicate position of having to prove his worth and talent while competing against a four-time World Champion just a few meters away in the same garage: “I’ve never done a full season, so next year will be my first. It will probably feel similar to the one that just ended, where I’ll be learning new tracks and trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible. And I also think I’ll have a lot more eyes on me. Obviously, like all F1 drivers, we share a common goal: winning a World Championship. That has been my dream since I was a kid wanting to become an F1 driver. Now, I’m clearly in a fantastic position, but I certainly don’t expect to arrive and immediately win a title.”
“I know the team’s objective is obviously the Constructors’ Championship, and that’s why I’m here: to help achieve it. Personally, I’ll be trying to become competitive as quickly as possible. And, of course, I have the best teammate to learn from.”
Lawson has come to know, admire, and appreciate his colleague over time, having shared the Red Bull environment with Max for several years. The 22-year-old is confident that having Verstappen alongside him now will provide further growth and a strong foundation for success.
“I think Max is someone who loves motorsport and follows it closely; even when I was in Super Formula and other categories, he was always kind and supportive toward me.”
“When I arrived last year as a reserve, I felt a lot of pressure, but at Zandvoort, he was a great advisor. So, it’s great to interact with him and have him as a teammate. There’s no one better to learn from.”
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