Liam Lawson praises Max Verstappen: “He supported me when I was at Red Bull”. Liam Lawson opens up on Red Bull exit and Verstappen’s backing.

Lawson praises Verstappen

Liam Lawson’s Red Bull adventure lasted just two Grands Prix. Promoted to replace Sergio Perez for the 2025 Formula 1 season, the New Zealander suffered a dramatic setback after scoring two consecutive retirements and failing to make an impact in Melbourne and Shanghai.

He was subsequently replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, but the Japanese driver has also struggled to deliver convincing results, further highlighting just how difficult it is to race alongside Max Verstappen in the Red Bull team.

There is a widespread belief that “Super Max” tends to dominate both the team environment and his teammates, a perception reinforced by what happened with Sergio Perez during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. However, Lawson’s experience appears to have been very different. The New Zealander has instead spoken highly of Verstappen, praising the Dutchman for the positive attitude he consistently showed towards him.

Lawson’s comments

“Max has always been very genuine. Considering the incredibly high level of performance he delivers and the position he holds within the sport, it would be very easy for him not to behave that way,” Lawson said during an appearance on the High Performance podcast.

“When I arrived, I noticed that he always made an effort to say hello to me or acknowledge me with a gesture. He knew I was racing in Formula 2 and would always ask me how things were going.”

“That was really fantastic. When I moved up to Red Bull, he supported me a great deal. I won’t go into too much detail, but he genuinely helped me a lot,” Liam Lawson added.

“I spoke with many people during that period, but especially with him, and he was very understanding.”