Lawson’s ultimate dream come true: Red Bull opts for ‘rookie’ alongside Verstappen in 2025

For most the departure of Sergio Pérez hardly was a surprise, having performed extremely underwhelming compared to his championship winning teammate Max Verstappen. The announcement of Verstappen’s new partner in crime, however, surely was a shock. With 4 years of experience under his belt, Yuki Tsunoda probably expected to jump into the Oracle Red Bull Racing team himself, instead Red Bull announced Kiwi Liam Lawson in December last year. With only eleven Grand Prix entries Lawson surely has not unleashed his full potential yet, but uncertainty roams the paddock about his capabilities of performing in what is said to be the most challenging job in the sport.

Liam Lawson gearing up in his Red Bull suit for a test drive in 2024, photo by Ken Leafore retrieved from Red Bull Content Pool.

Having scored points in only his third race in the pinnacle of motorsport during the Singapore Grand Prix in 2023, Lawson showed he is capable of performing under high pressure, literally as Singapore is the most physically exhausting race on the calendar with drivers losing about 3 kilograms of body weight under the immense humidity. During the 5 Grand Prix’s he participated in that year, since Ricciardo was unable to drive as he sustained a broken wrist during the second practice session in Zandvoort, Lawson certainly proved capable of piloting a Formula 1 car as he beat his Alpha Tauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda in four out of five races. Last year turned out better for Tsunoda, beating the New-Zealand youngster in four of the six races they had as teammates. What set Lawson apart, however, was his adaptability and immense learning velocity as he jumped in mid-season both in 2023 and 2024 whilst also showcasing consistency by finishing all 11 races he started. Red Bull crew chief Christian Horner backs up his choice emphasising that “his qualifying pace was very tight with Yuki, and you’ve got to assume that the potential with Liam having only done 11 grand prix, is he’s only going to get better and stronger. He’s shown real mental resilience and toughness.”

Bruce McLaren in his 1969 McLaren M7C Ford during the Monaco Grand Prix, photo by Rainer Schlegelmilch retrieved from motorsportimages.com.

New Zealand: a wonderful motorsports nation back on the grid

Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley was New Zealand’s last fulltime driver in 2017 and 2018. Lawson could add to an impressive historic legacy which the country left on the sport. New Zealand has seen Denny Hulme take the 1967 championship and a total of eight career wins. One more famous motorsport name from the country is founder of McLaren, Bruce McLaren the 1960 runner-up in the championship, losing out to Aussie teammate at Cooper, Jack Brabham. Both went on to found an automotive company. The McLaren brand, founded in 1963, is among the biggest names in the automotive world nowadays, and is the only which completed motorsports ‘Triple Crown’, winning the 24 hours of Le Mans, the Indy 500, and the Monaco Grand Prix.

Liam the wonderkid

Calling Lawson’s junior career impressive is probably cutting it short. I would say his junior career marks the path of a champion, winning championships in his first entries in Formula First, Formula Ford, Formula Four, Formula Three Asia, and last but not least the Toyota Racing Series after battling it out with fellow countryman and Indycar driver Marcus Armstrong. After those victories, Lawson was only 17 years old, and he signed a contract with MP Motorsport in Formula 3 for 2020. During this season, the Red Bull junior beat both his teammates, including Formula 2 race winner Richard Verschoor, finishing eleventh in the championship. Switching to Hitech in 2021, Lawson had a far better season securing three victories on his way to fifth overall, his consistency was incredible as he scored points in every race except one due to an engine failure.

His most notable Formula 3 performance might be the 2019 Macau GP, a track that is among the narrowest motorsports has ever seen. During the event, Lawson would start in twentieth position after massively underperforming in the qualification events. Macau requires immense focus, massive trust in the car, and huge confidence in oneself. Lawson did not lack one of these focal points during the actual race, slicing through the field all the way into seventh. These junior performances secured him a Formula 2 drive with Hitech rolling into the 2021 season.

The Kiwi’s Formula 2 campaign would prove he deserves a shot at Formula 1, securing a win in his very first sprint race in Bahrain and finishing ninth overall. Lawson would transfer to Carlin taking up the spot alongside American driver Logan Sargeant. Lawson set his sight at a title. 149 points and 10 podiums including 4 victories later Lawson would finish the 2022 championship in third place. These performances secured him a reserve driver role at the Red Bull sister team Alpha Tauri team which was later rebranded to Visa cash app Racing Bulls for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Tsunoda missing out

Four years of experience during which Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda outperformed all except one of his teammates was not enough for Red Bull chiefs Helmut Marko and Christian Horner to promote him to their main team. The decision was surprising to most fans, drivers, and engineers in the sport. Tsunoda took quite some time before settling properly into the Formula 1 circus, losing out massively to teammate Pierre Gasly in his rookie season. From 2022 onwards, Tsunoda showed he does deserve the drive, beating all teammates in head-to-head comparisons throughout qualifying and races. Red Bull certainly has a habit of pushing young talent through the ranks quickly and the approach has provided them with two four-time world champions. Horner’s further explanation of picking Lawson instead of Tsunoda fits the pattern perfectly as he mentioned “His arrival continues the team’s long history of promoting from within the Red Bull junior programme and he follows in the footsteps of championship- and race-winning drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and of course, Max Verstappen.”

Tsunoda will remain in the Racing Bulls team this year, partnering up with Isack Hadjar. The latter being the 2024 Formula 2 runner up to Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto in a championship battle that went all the way to the last race weekend in Abu Dhabi. The 20-year-old French Algerian driver showcased he developed vast consistency and sublime reactions throughout his junior career, which could come in handy in his Formula 1 career.

Liam Lawson testing the RB20 during the Imola 2024 Grand Prix weekend, photo retrieved from Motorsport.com.

Lawson looks ahead with mainly feelings of excitement and relief, as he discussed in a press release that “To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver is a lifelong dream for me, this is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old.” The New Zealander is realistic though, and knows he has a lot to learn ahead of his first fulltime season. Expecting to match Verstappen is unrealistic in 2025, and Lawson is aware of that. The challenge from McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari to Red Bull will be tough competition for the Milton Keynes team, which finished the constructor’s championship in third place last year. Considering the other constructors in the top four from last year all won Grand Prix’s with both drivers which Red Bull failed to do, Lawson should be expecting a tough but insightful 2025 campaign.