Red Bull junior Liam Lawson has finally received his first full-time F1 contract after RB announced Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from the team effective immediately. Lawson will partner with Yuki Tsunoda for the rest of the 2024 season and into 2025.
Lawson‘s cameo last year for the Faenza-based team garnered a lot of positive responses within the paddock and from fans. Naturally, many are left wondering how much will the Kiwi driver earn at RB.
While no official communication is out from either Red Bull or RB, paddock insiders suggest a substantial paycheck for the 22-year-old. The New Zealand Herald claims that Lawson could earn between $5 million to $10 million with Red Bull’s sister team.
BREAKING: Liam Lawson to replace Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the remainder of the 2024 season
Lawson will race for the team from the US Grand Prix onwards #F1 pic.twitter.com/XnawGuIkeu
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2024
Lawson’s current role within the team, as their reserve driver, is seeing him earn between $100,000 and $500,000. However, this deal isn’t as sweet as it sounds on paper.
Reserve drivers are usually asked to pay their travel bills, among other expenses. But his current F1 deal with Red Bull will see him jump into an elite list of the highest-paid Kiwi athletes.
Lawson becomes second highest-paid Kiwi athlete after Red Bull F1 deal
Lawson’s RB contract has guaranteed him a spot with national legends such as Steven Adams, Chris Wood, and Israel Adesanya. As per paddock rumors, his salary with the Faenza-based team will help him become the second highest-paid athlete in New Zealand.
The Kiwi’s estimated new contract excludes the many bonuses an F1 driver often gets throughout the season. Hence, including that amount, he’ll be close to Adams, who currently earns 20 million New Zealand Dollars which roughly translates to a paycheck of USD 12,640,600.
But Lawson’s estimated paycheck places him ahead of other Kiwi athletes such as Wood, who makes about $8.8 Million, and Adesanya who earns around $6.8 Million a year. Moving forward, if the RB driver can perform better, there could be a chance for him to perhaps become the highest-paid Kiwi sports star too.
