With New Zealand’s proximity to Australia, the season-opening Grand Prix in Melbourne will be the closest to what Liam Lawson can claim as a home race. And it is fitting that he is also kickstarting his first full-time season in F1 with a top team like Red Bull.
After two seasons of part-time cameo appearances at their sister team, RB (formerly AlphaTauri), Lawson finally got his big break toward the end of last year when Red Bull decided to sack Sergio Perez for the 2025 season.
Last year, the Kiwi driver had replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB from the US GP onwards and had been putting in decent performances. However, he did not have any confirmation of whether he would get the full-time seat on the main team as Lawson did not wish to spend another year on the sidelines or stay at Red Bull’s sister team, having proven his mettle.
Recently, he shed light on how the top brass at the Milton Keynes outfit made the decision to sign him for the Red Bull seat. However, given he did not know what would unfold in their meeting, the 23-year-old was a bit anxious.
“It was Monday after Abu Dhabi. I’d just done the Grand Prix and normally we don’t train too hard on a Monday. But I couldn’t sit still, so I went to the gym with my trainer,” he revealed in an interaction on the Garage 66 podcast with one of his sponsor brands, Giltrap.
In the midst of the gym session, Lawson received a text from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner that indicated he had got the seat besides Max Verstappen. Yet, it was the formal call later that day that calmed down his nerves.
BREAKING: Liam Lawson to race for Red Bull in 2025 #F1 pic.twitter.com/xOf9w4uPgu
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 19, 2024
“I knew then, but he called me that night, and [said], “Welcome to Red Bull Racing”, [it] was the one line which we all dream about hearing,” he recalled.
Naturally, the Hastings-born driver would’ve felt relieved on receiving this good news as he had spent the past two seasons in uncertainty about where his F1 career was going. Despite having the talent, he wasn’t getting a full-time seat to showcase how good he could be at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Lawson’s side of the story
With Lawson getting the seat ahead of the much more experienced Yuki Tsunoda, several empathized with the Japanese driver, stating how he was more deserving of the promotion. Tsunoda had proven his mettle at the Faenza-based outfit for four seasons, delivering consistent performances.
However, Lawson had matched him several times during the 11 races he drove for RB as Tsunoda’s teammate in 2023-24. Red Bull felt that the New Zealander may have a higher ceiling of performance, and that balanced demeanor they were eyeing for in a suitable candidate who could partner with Verstappen in the long term.
While there is still uncertainty on whether Lawson can handle the pressure of racing besides the Dutchman, he has shown that he has the ingredients to not back down from a fight even if the opponent is an intimidating veteran of the sport. Just ask Fernando Alonso!
On top of that, Lawson did not even have a seat for two seasons after graduating from F2. This would have led him to face immense anxiety, not knowing in which direction his career was headed. “The last two years especially, I’ve gone into the season with no real long-term plan, I didn’t know where I was gonna end up, especially last year,” he added.
As he was a reserve driver, he did not have much in his hand and had to rely on the fleeting opportunities he got to impress Red Bull. Heading into 2025, Lawson will have to prove their decision right, though.
Given he doesn’t have as much commercial backing as his predecessor, Sergio Perez, it would be difficult for him to retain his seat if he cannot perform. But as many have written him off, the Kiwi driver could certainly punch above his weight against Verstappen and wipe the smile of his doubters.
