Not only does Liam Lawson have to deal with the pressure of being a Red Bull driver in F1 this season, but he also has to deal with the challenge of being Max Verstappen’s teammate. Many have tried to match the Dutchman in the past and most have miserably failed in this task that Lawson has been put up to.
The likes of Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, and Sergio Perez all fell short of coming close to matching Verstappen’s might, which ended up costing them their place in Red Bull.
Last year, Perez’s performances were so dismal compared to Verstappen’s that Red Bull ended up losing the Constructors’ title, finishing P3. As far as Lawson is concerned, both he and Red Bull are simply looking to avoid a repeat of that.
At the F175 launch event, Lawson was asked what his realistic expectations of going up against Verstappen were, and the Kiwi driver responded, “It’s not really something I am thinking too much about.”
“Obviously, the team’s goal is to win the Constructors’ this year. That’s what I’m here to help try and achieve. If we’re doing that, that means I’m doing my job,” he added.
Lawson is a genuinely ridiculous talent. Won races in every championship he’s ever contested, including on debut in TRS, EuroFormula, F2, DTM and SuperFormula. Impressive in every F1 weekend he’s raced. Big fan of his racing style and elbows out approach. Exciting times ahead. https://t.co/GSH3YPk3wR
— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) December 19, 2024
This aim may be too difficult for even Verstappen to help achieve. The likes of McLaren and Ferrari—the favorites for the crown in 2025—are expected to be much faster, which means that Red Bull will likely not be Constructors’ champions come the end of the season.
Red Bull have a lot of chasing to do
Of course, Lawson will look to do better than what Perez did in 2024 and contribute more to Red Bull’s points tally. However, winning the title might just be a step too far.
The Milton-Keynes-based outfit, over the last 12 months, found itself losing out on the development race to Ferrari and McLaren despite having a good start to the 2024 season. Red Bull, led by Verstappen, won seven out of the opening 10 races, after which they just won two in the next 14.
McLaren, meanwhile, won its first Constructors’ title since 1998, finishing just 14 points ahead of Ferrari, a close battle between them that is set to continue this campaign. Red Bull, meanwhile, finished third in the standings.
And while Verstappen proved that he can still compete for wins and the title with the third-fastest car on the grid, expecting Lawson to do the same this season may be unrealistic.
