Lawson's promotion marks a new chapter for Red Bull
Liam Lawson has admitted that ignoring the possibility of a Red Bull promotion was a challenging task during the concluding races of 2024. Officially confirmed as Sergio Perez's successor for the 2025 season, Lawson's imminent elevation within the team became increasingly evident as the year drew to a close.
"It was tough... Abu Dhabi, just knowing what was going on," Lawson told. "I tried to clear it out as much as I could, but obviously it's a huge opportunity, and I knew it was right there. Obviously, I wanted it so badly that it was hard not to think about it."
Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, elaborated on why the team chose Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda to partner with Max Verstappen in 2025. The decision followed a rigorous assessment of both drivers' performances and potential contributions to the team.
Lawson noted that despite the anticipation, there was never a formal guarantee of securing the seat. "I knew the opportunity that was coming, and I knew that it was looking like it was going to happen towards the end of this year. I also knew that coming in, it was in a way an audition for the Red Bull seat just because, obviously, the team at that point were losing the constructors' and they were looking to make a change."
"It wasn't specifically, 'you do this job, and you get a Red Bull seat.' Anytime that you're in the sister team, you know that you are auditioning for a Red Bull seat in the future. So I knew coming in that's what was happening, but to be honest, I wasn't expecting it towards the end of the year. That was more of a recent thing."
Lawson, a New Zealander, is set to defy Red Bull's recent pattern of teammates struggling to maintain form alongside Max Verstappen. Perez's exit mirrors the past departures of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who also faltered while paired with the Dutchman.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at Maranello"It's probably the hardest place to be," Lawson concedes. "But also it comes with the most opportunity. He's obviously the best in the world right now, so there's nobody better to learn off. There's nobody better to be alongside. Every session that I'm driving, I get to basically look at all of his data and see exactly how he does it. So it's a great opportunity. As much as I know it's going to be extremely tough, there's nobody better to learn off."
Lawson's promotion marks a new chapter for Red Bull, one filled with both immense pressure and unprecedented opportunity as he partners with one of the sport's premier talents.
