Liam Lawson will race for Red Bull in Formula One next year after being named as Sergio Pérez’s replacement for the 2025 season.
Less than a day after news broke that Pérez and Red Bull were parting ways, Red Bull confirmed that Lawson, 22, would fill the vacancy, lining up alongside Max Verstappen from next year.
Pérez’s departure came after he slumped to his worst season since joining Red Bull in 2021, finishing eighth in the championship. It left the team to decide between Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, both of whom raced for Red Bull’s sister team, RB, last year, as Pérez’s replacement.
The team ultimately opted for Lawson, who said in the announcement on Thursday that it was a “lifelong dream” for him to become a Red Bull Racing driver.
“It’s been an incredible journey so far,” Lawson said. “I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team at RB for their support, the last six races have played a huge part in my preparation for this next step.”
Lawson added that he was “super excited to work alongside Max and learn from a world champion, I have no doubt I will learn from his expertise.”
Explaining the decision, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that Lawson’s performances in his two stints with RB to date “demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but that he’s also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top.”
Horner added: “His arrival continues the team’s long history of promoting from within the Red Bull Junior Programme and he follows in the footsteps of championship and race-winning drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and of course, Max Verstappen.
“There’s no doubt that racing alongside Max, a four-time champion and undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers ever seen in F1, is a daunting task, but I’m sure Liam can rise to that challenge and deliver some outstanding results for us next year.”
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Lawson has been part of the Red Bull family since 2021, joining the junior team and being Red Bull’s reserve driver for the last two seasons. He received a call up to race for RB, Red Bull’s sister team, during the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix weekend after Daniel Ricciardo injured his hand during a crash in practice. The Australian driver underwent surgery, and Lawson competed in his place for five races, making an immediate impression. He scored two points across the five weekends, thanks to a ninth-place finish at the Singapore GP.
But there was no room for Lawson on the 2024 grid. Ricciardo re-joined the grid ahead of the 2023 U.S. Grand Prix, and RB’s driver lineup for 2024 consisted of Ricciardo and Tsunoda. Lawson’s last race came a few weeks later, when he wrapped up the 2023 Super Formula season, and he only served as a reserve driver for both Red Bull teams this year. It meant watching from the wings and waiting to see if he’d have a full-time spot on the grid.
The moment finally came just before the Singapore GP. Lawson replaced Ricciardo days after that race weekend, and the New Zealand driver faced two tripleheaders — which featured three sprint races as well — to close out the year. It was his chance to prove he belonged on the grid.
Tsunoda outqualified Lawson for all six race weekends and won their race finish head-to-head 4-2. When it came to sprint races, Lawson was 2-1 up in qualifying and the shorter race. By season’s end, Lawson contributed four points to RB’s total, thanks to two ninth-place finishes (Austin and Brazil).
Lingering doubts from Red Bull over Tsunoda prompted it to pass over the more experienced Japanese driver and instead turn to Lawson to replace Pérez after just 11 grand prix starts.
The decision will leave questions about Tsunoda’s future considering the length of tenure, going into his fifth season with RB, and his performances this season.
Lawson’s free seat at RB is expected to be taken by Isack Hadjar, the Formula Two championship runner-up, who is the leading member of Red Bull’s young driver programme.
Top photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
