Written by Ria Ann Sam
Liam Lawson will drive alongside Max Verstappen in the 2025 season, replacing Sergio Perez who has been with Red Bull Racing since 2021. Lawson has partaken in two stand-in campaigns with AlphaTauri and VCARB, but 2025 will be his first full Formula One campaign.
After a particularly difficult season, Sergio Perez officially announced that he and Red Bull would be parting ways, putting an end to all the rumours circulating. He will be replaced by Liam Lawson who has been a part of the Red Bull Academy since 2019.
Upon his departure, Perez has said he is “incredibly grateful for the past four years with Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing team.”
Lawson made his F1 debut when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo at the Dutch Grand Prix after the Australian broke his wrist.
He gained much popularity after out-qualifying both Max Verstappen and the now-departing Sergio Perez at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix. He competed in five races, scoring two points.
He was officially called up to the junior team for the 2024 United States Grand Prix, once again replacing Ricciardo. He accumlated four points in his six outings this season.
However, he won’t have an easy time driving alongside Verstappen. The Dutchman is a four-time World Champion, and has had three different teammates at Red Bull in six years.
Perez himself said he "wouldn't like to be in those shoes," as a “young driver.” "People cannot underestimate the level of challenge that there is in this seat."
If Lawson wants to have a long future in Formula One, he must prove himself and perform well.
This season, due to Perez’s struggles as well as other issues, Red Bull finished third in the Constructors’ Championship.
The McLaren line-up of Norris and Piastri is strong (the Papaya team winning the Constructors’ Championship) and the Ferrari line-up looks solid, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton racing alongside Ferrari’s golden boy, Charles Leclerc.
If Red Bull are to win, Lawson must go above and beyond, landing podiums and maybe even winning races.
With Lawson driving for Red Bull, there is once again a vacant seat at RB. Isack Hadjar remains the favourite to take the seat; having finished second in the Formula 2 Championship.
All in all, Lawson has proven his mettle in the limited appearances he has made as a Formula One race starter for VCARB and AlphaTauri.
With Red Bull's patience known to be thin, and the expectations high, Lawson will have to prove his speed from the outset, if Red Bull are to stand a chance of winning both titles in 2025.
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