As he replaces Sergio Perez alongside Max Verstappen, Liam Lawson says he “understands” how the Red Bull F1 car drives and feels the responsibility is on him to adjust to any nuances.
With just 11 races under his belt, Red Bull has signed Kiwi driver Liam Lawson to replace Sergio Perez in their lineup, making Lawson an expected front-runner in Formula 1 2025. For his first full season in the sport, Lawson will be competing alongside four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen.
Flowing logo
Liam Lawson: Skilled drivers need to change
Alongside Verstappen, Lawson will have a high learning curve as Red Bull prepares to compete for the Constructors’ Championship in Formula One 2025.
The shape of Pereztogether with Verstappen vanished in 2024, with the Mexican accounting for only one-third of Verstappen’s points total. This disparity between the drivers caused the more reliable and evenly matched pairings at McLaren and Ferrari to overcome Red Bull’s lead in the championship’s final stages.
Red Bull has taken the risk of promoting from within since such a gap cannot be maintained. Lawson has been a member of the Red Bull driver program since 2018 and pleased senior management when he was given the opportunity to step in at short notice and replace Daniel Ricciardo in 2023 due to injury.
Following this year’s Singapore Grand Prix, Lawson was eventually selected for a full-time replacement position with Ricciardo dropped, and his six-race audition earned him two point finishes.Red Bull has given him the go-ahead over his much more seasoned teammate Yuki Tsunoda because of his progress along the route.
Ad
Red Bull feels that Lawson is a better fit with Verstappen because of his maturity, mental toughness, speed, and potential. Verstappen’s unrelenting performance requires mental toughness, which is why former Red Bull junior talent like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon couldn’t succeed with him in their early years.
When speaking with Red Bull employees, Lawson’s unwavering self-belief is typically the first thing that is mentioned about him. The Kiwi driver shared some insight into this inner confidence in an exclusive chat with PlanetF1.com prior to his Red Bull appearance.Bull advertising.
When asked how he handles situations where his confidence can be questioned, he responded, “Self-doubt may be the wrong word.” This is because he is teamed with a driver who never exhibits any signs of self-doubt.
“I genuinely think that no one is flawless, and I’m not flawless as a driver.
“I’m always going to improve and learn from new things. I consider myself to be critical of my own shortcomings.