Liam Lawson will join Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, at Red Bull for the 2025 Formula 1 season, the team confirmed on Thursday. Lawson, a 22-year-old from New Zealand, takes over from Sergio Perez, who was dropped from the team after struggling with performance in recent months.
Lawson will move from Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s sister team, where he has raced as a stand-in driver in both 2023 and 2024. He is a product of Red Bull’s junior program.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the challenge of racing alongside Verstappen, one of F1’s greatest drivers. However, Horner expressed confidence in Lawson’s ability to rise to the occasion and achieve strong results.
Lawson, reflecting on the opportunity, described it as the fulfillment of a “lifelong dream” to race with Red Bull, something he has aspired to since he was 8 years old. He called his journey so far “incredible.”
Sergio Perez’s contract with Red Bull was ended two years early after a season where he struggled to remain competitive. The Mexican driver hadn’t secured a win since April 2023, and his last finish higher than sixth in a race was in May. In contrast, Max Verstappen continued to dominate the Formula 1 scene.
Liam Lawson joined Red Bull’s junior program in 2019 and made his Formula 1 debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, driving for Scuderia AlphaTauri (later renamed Racing Bulls) as a replacement for the injured Daniel Ricciardo. Lawson competed in five races for the team that season.
In 2024, Lawson earned a points-scoring finish at the United States Grand Prix, once again filling in for Ricciardo.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised Lawson’s performances, noting that his two stints with Racing Bulls proved he not only has the ability to achieve strong results but also possesses a competitive spirit, unafraid to take on the best and come out on top.
