Liam Lawson – Syndication Server

Horner admits ‘danger’ of Albon, Gasly repeat with Lawson

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner admits there is a danger of Liam Lawson struggling within the team’s environment by being promoted too soon. Lawson has been picked to partner Max Verstappen in 2025 despite having started just 11 …

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner admits there is a danger of Liam Lawson struggling within the team’s environment by being promoted too soon.

Lawson has been picked to partner Max Verstappen in 2025 despite having started just 11 grands prix, with the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda overlooked to replace Sergio Perez. The Mexican had been brought in after both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon struggled in the Red Bull seat early in their careers, and Horner acknowledges the risks that are associated with young drivers.

“Look, the danger is there’s a repeat of that,” Horner said. “But I think that Liam is a different character. He’s a different personality to be able to deal with that pressure. I think he’s shown real resilience and strength of character with the opportunity that’s been provided to have to turn up and get on with it and deliver — and he’s done that.

Joe Portlock/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

“The plan initially wasn’t for that to be accelerated for this year. circumstances have dictated with Checo unfortunately not having a great season — that has been accelerated. But we believe where Liam is on the trajectory that he’s on, that will only improve.

“And he drives the car in a similar fashion to Max. He doesn’t shy away from having a very positive front end in the car. So I think in terms of driving characteristic, it will be easier for the cars to run more closely together in setup.”

Horner believes having a clear hierarchy with Verstappen as the lead driver is now a different scenario that should take the pressure off Lawson compared to juniors that have gone before him.

“Daniel [Ricciardo] and Max were a strong pairing. We then had two juniors that struggled. And that’s why obviously Checo then stepped into the car for the ’21 season and coped with the pressures of that well.

“I think the other factor that we’re focused very hard on is making sure that we’re creating a wider operating window with RB21 than RB20’s very narrow, very peaky performance window. So for us, to create a broader window will hopefully only help Liam find a more, perhaps forgiving car than RB20 could be on occasion.

“I think one of the things we’ll be looking to protect Liam from is expectation. Of course, when Alex and Pierre were with the team, Max wasn’t a four-time world champion. He hadn’t won a world championship at that point. We have a very clear positioning in the team with where Max is at in his career and what we need from the second driver.”

Lawson confirmed as Perez replacement for 2025

Liam Lawson has been confirmed as Sergio Perez’s replacement at Red Bull Racing for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Perez’s departure from the team was announced on Wednesday following negotiations relating to the termination of his contract, with an …

Liam Lawson has been confirmed as Sergio Perez’s replacement at Red Bull Racing for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Perez’s departure from the team was announced on Wednesday following negotiations relating to the termination of his contract, with an agreement reached for him to leave the team with immediate effect. In his place, Red Bull have opted for Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda, with the New Zealander having started just 11 grands prix across the past two seasons.

“I’m delighted to announce that Liam Lawson will join the team in 2025,” team principal Christian Horner said. “Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls have 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.

“His arrival continues the team’s long history of promoting from within the Red Bull Junior Program 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 says his second stint at RB — where he replaced Daniel Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix for the rest of this season — was central to him proving he is ready for the opportunity.

“To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing Driver is a lifelong dream for me, this is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old,” Lawson said. “It’s been an incredible journey so far.

“I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team at VCARB for their support, the last six races have played a huge part in my preparation for this next step. I also want to thank Christian, Helmut [Marko] and the whole Red Bull family for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I am super excited to work alongside Max and learn from a world champion, I have no doubt I will learn from his expertise. I can’t wait to get going!”

The decision is set to pave the way for Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar to replace Lawson at RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda, with the Japanese driver being overlooked for the top team despite starting 87 grands prix across the past four seasons.

Perez critical of Lawson’s attitude after Mexico City GP clash

Sergio Perez says Liam Lawson has the wrong attitude for Formula 1 due to the number of incidents he has been involved in, including their collision in the Mexico City Grand Prix. Lawson was trying to defend from Perez early in the race and was …

Sergio Perez says Liam Lawson has the wrong attitude for Formula 1 due to the number of incidents he has been involved in, including their collision in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Lawson was trying to defend from Perez early in the race and was pushed wide at Turn 4, rejoining on the inside of Turn 5 to try and fight back. The pair had light contact as the fight continued for two more corners before Lawson remained ahead, with both drivers trading insults on team radio and the RB driver gesturing at Perez when he overtook him again later in the race.

“I don’t have any relationship with him,” Perez said. “I think the way he has come to Formula 1, I don’t think he has the right attitude for it. He needs to be a bit more humble, you know. When a two-time world champion [Fernando Alonso] was saying things last weekend, he completely ignored him.

“When you come to Formula 1, you’re obviously very hungry and so on, but you have to be respectful off-track and on-track. I don’t think he’s showing the right attitude to show a good pace for himself, because I think he’s a great driver and I hope for him that he can step back and learn from it.”

With the stewards investigating their run-in but not taking any further action, Perez claims Lawson also isn’t getting the right message about his approach to racing.

“It was looking good. We were already up to P10. I had a maneuver into Turn 4, and then he was outside the track and just came straight [back on], like if there was no car. I think he could have avoided the incident but he just went back. Luckily I saw him and I opened up room, otherwise it would have been a massive crash.

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“There was no need; we damaged both of our races. I think it was just a little bit too much, but I don’t think it’s his fault. He’s not getting any penalties as well. He did the same with Fernando, with Franco [Colapinto] in the end. There are no penalties or none of his fault as well.

“I think he’s just racing everyone out of control at the moment.”

Colapinto was the driver who received a penalty for his collision with Lawson, with the stewards deeming the Williams did not leave room on the outside of Turn 2. However, Perez believes Red Bull needs to speak to Lawson about his driving.

“I think you see these youngsters, obviously very hungry for it, and they’re really passionate and it’s great to see,” he started. “They have great talent, but I’m just talking about Lawson in this regard — I think in his two first grands prix he has had too many incidents and I think there will be a point where it can cost him too much, like he did this weekend.

“He has to have the right attitude to say, ‘Look, I’m overdoing it a little bit; I will step back and start again.’ It’s all the learning you have to do as a youngster, because if you don’t learn from your mistakes, Formula 1 is a brutal world and he might not continue.

“Today it cost Red Bull Racing a lot of points, so I think they should speak to him.”

Lawson expected tougher fight from Alonso at COTA

Liam Lawson admits he expected Fernando Alonso to be tougher with him during their on-track battle as the RB driver recovered from 19th on the grid to score points in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. Alonso was annoyed at Lawson’s driving in the …

Alonso was annoyed at Lawson’s driving in the Sprint on Saturday, calling the New Zealander “an idiot” on team radio and then arguing with him after climbing out of their cars post-race. There was also a moment between the two leaving the pits for qualifying but Lawson overtook the Aston Martin during his first stint on Sunday and felt there was no lingering grudge between the two.

“He was actually nice today!” Lawson said after finishing ninth. “I expected him to fight me a little bit more but it was good. I think it was smart from both of us, for that part of the race it was very early on and I think the hard was working for us quite well at that point. Obviously he’s very experienced, much more experienced than I am, there’s obviously things I can learn from him, so I’m happy with the race.

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“I remember being a kid watching him on TV when I was racing go-karts, and obviously somebody that I have a huge amount of respect for and what he’s done in Formula 1. So there’s things that guys like him I can learn a lot off.”

Lawson gained 10 places on his first grand prix start in a year, and admitted the points return – ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda – was crucial in showing Red Bull what he is capable of.

“It’s definitely important,” he said. “Obviously it’s also what I’m here to – I’ve got a goal of Formula 1 and I know this race is very important. It’s doing exactly what I’m here to do. Five more very important races as well to focus on.

“I just settled in and the hard tire worked really, really well for us. A big step with the car from [Saturday], which is really positive. It’s hard to do that in a weekend – from where you start it’s hard to make a really big step like that and we did that because of how hard the guys worked on the car. So I’m really happy.

“It was definitely tricky but the car was working well, and when you have a car that’s doing exactly what you want it to do it puts you in a good window. I’ve also been preparing pretty hard for this for the last 12 months, I knew that at some point the opportunity should come, so training-wise we’ve been working very hard and being ready for it.”

RB tells Lawson he still has to earn 2025 seat

Liam Lawson says he’s been told to match Yuki Tsunoda to secure himself a full-time seat in Formula 1 in 2025. Red Bull made the decision to drop Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of this season and replace him with Lawson at RB, with the New Zealander …

Liam Lawson says he’s been told to match Yuki Tsunoda to secure himself a full-time seat in Formula 1 in 2025.

Red Bull made the decision to drop Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of this season and replace him with Lawson at RB, with the New Zealander making his first start of the year this weekend at the United States Grand Prix. Lawson says the commitment is only for the remaining six races so far, and that he still has to earn the spot alongside Tsunoda next season.

“It’s pretty simple,” Lawson told RACER. “The sort of target that was set is to basically perform in the seat. They want me to obviously match Yuki, and that’ll give me my best shot at having a seat next year, but it’s always being evaluated.

“They could even say that you’re going to be racing next year, but if I don’t do a good job next year, then obviously they’re not going to put me in the car. And it’s always just going to be like that.”

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Lawson impressed during five races standing in for the injured Ricciardo last year, and he doesn’t feel any added pressure due to increased expectations following those outings.

“It’s definitely not how I look at it,” he said. “Even if you’re an experienced driver, even if you’ve had a great season, if you go into a new season — even a new race weekend — we’re all very short-sighted on this stuff. And if you have a great race weekend, that’s fine, but you basically start again next time, and we’re always being evaluated.

“It’s always going to be like that, regardless if it’s my first six races, or if I’m five seasons in and I’m going into another season. If you’re not doing a good job, then you’re going to be judged — by the team especially — by your performance.

“It’s the same as last year. The only difference is I at least know that I’m getting the six [starts]. Last year, I didn’t know how many I was going to do. But it’s all performance-based, and it always will be. So I guess the sooner I realize and accept that, the better off I’ll be.”

While Lawson is clearly the frontrunner for a full-time seat in 2025 – team principal Christian Horner even hinted he could be in the frame for a Red Bull drive if required – there are also options in the Red Bull junior ranks rising towards F1, with Isack Hadjar the most likely alternative. The French driver is currently second in the Formula 2 standings, 4.5 points off the lead, and has completed three FP1 outings already.

Lawson replaces Ricciardo at RB for the rest of 2024

RB has confirmed Liam Lawson will race for the team for the remainder of the 2024 Formula 1 season in place of Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo’s future was the center of speculation at the Singapore Grand Prix and the Australian ended the weekend …

RB has confirmed Liam Lawson will race for the team for the remainder of the 2024 Formula 1 season in place of Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo’s future was the center of speculation at the Singapore Grand Prix and the Australian ended the weekend admitting there was a chance he had raced for the final time Formula 1. A Red Bull review of its driver line-up has now resulted in Lawson (pictured at right, above, with Ricciardo) being promoted back into a race seat starting with the next race — the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.

Lawson impressed team management during his five-race stint in place of the injured Ricciardo last year. He finished ninth in Singapore last season to score two points while standing in for Ricciardo, but the Australian returned at COTA to see out the year. He started this season trying to earn himself another chance at Red Bull Racing, but despite considering a change, the senior team opted to stick with Sergio Perez in the summer break.

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Ricciardo’s 2024 has seen him score a best result of eighth place in the Canadian Grand Prix, although he finished an impressive fourth in the Sprint in Miami as one of four point-scoring finishes. He has been outscored by 22 points to 12 by teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who is already confirmed at RB for next season.

“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” RB team principal Laurent Mekies said. “He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit. Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the team well. He drove for us last season, and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it’ll be a natural transition. It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”

At this stage, RB has only confirmed Lawson for the remainder of this season, with the seat alongside Tsunoda in 2025 not yet officially announced. Despite the show of faith in August, questions remain over Perez’s long-term future at Red Bull, after a run of 41 points in the past 12 races. While the Red Bull has become a less competitive car, teammate Max Verstappen has scored 195 points in the same spell.

Ricciardo on rumors of RB ouster: ‘Obviously, crazy things have happened in this sport’

Daniel Ricciardo says he expects to see out this season but is awaiting a decision on whether he will have a race seat in 2025 after this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. Red Bull has yet to make a decision on the second RB seat alongside Yuki …

Daniel Ricciardo says he expects to see out this season but is awaiting a decision on whether he will have a race seat in 2025 after this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Red Bull has yet to make a decision on the second RB seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda for next year, with Ricciardo coming to the end of his first full season back with the team but facing competition from Liam Lawson. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has previously suggested there would be clarity after Singapore but while recent speculation has linked Lawson with Ricciardo’s seat as early as the next race at Circuit of The Americas, the Australian says he has no knowledge of an imminent change.

“Let’s say my first expectation is about next year,” Ricciardo said. “So that’s where I’m at at the moment. I can’t give too many details, in terms of contracts — our dates pretty much come into this window now. Basically, I do expect a yes or a no for ’25.

“Obviously, I’m aware of some talk and speculation about the rest of the season. But that for me at the moment, I’m unaware of. The decision I expect is for next year. Obviously, crazy things have happened in this sport. I’m also not going to stand here too boastful and confident. Like, I believe I will be [back], but let’s obviously see.”

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While wary of discussing contractual information, Ricciardo says he doesn’t see a situation in his current deal that would allow him to be replaced after Singapore.

“I don’t think so, but, I also don’t want to stand here and be the lawyer. Look, I would say no, but also, we know how this sport works. People have not seen through a season before. It’s nothing new in some ways. So I don’t want to also be, ‘Oh, 100%, I’ll bet all my house on it.’ I’ve been around too long.”

Ricciardo says nothing has changed since he was told he would not be replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull back in August, and that he’s tried to make sure he doesn’t get too involved with rumors if he hasn’t had any direct feedback from the team.

“I think, all this stuff, what’s crazy about the sport is — and this is me just now just talking a bit of s**t — but I go and get a podium this weekend, and I’m probably the hottest thing in the sport! So that’s the merry-go-round we’re on. I know it can change quickly. I’m aware that things are hotting up so to speak, but I just have to try and get my head down this weekend and kick some ass!

“I think as early as probably Japan or Miami, there was, ‘Am I even going to rock up to the next race?’ I didn’t hear that from the team. But obviously there’s noise about that. You hear that one week, and then I put two good races together and Checo doesn’t, and I’m ‘Oh, am I going to be in the Red Bull in the summer break?’

“So I think the main thing is try not to get too high, try not to get too low. At the end of the day, focus on myself. That’s where I probably learned as well from the past, not to get bogged down in too much other stuff, because that will always be there, that will always exist.

“Control the controllables. And that’s me putting my best foot forward and making sure I’m loving what I’m doing. As much as the year has had some highs and lows, and even now, standing here today there’s a lot of pressure and speculation, I still am happy to be here. I still can’t wait to be in the car tomorrow. I can’t wait to sweat my t**s off. And then we’ll see what happens.”

Red Bull open to loaning Lawson to Williams

Red Bull “would be open” to loaning Liam Lawson to Williams for the Italian Grand Prix, according to Christian Horner. Williams has sounded out the availability of potential replacements for Logan Sargeant should it make a mid-season change to its …

Red Bull “would be open” to loaning Liam Lawson to Williams for the Italian Grand Prix, according to Christian Horner.

Williams has sounded out the availability of potential replacements for Logan Sargeant should it make a mid-season change to its driver lineup, following an expensive crash for Sargeant during FP3 at the Dutch Grand Prix. Lawson is understood to be one such name on the list, and Horner says he is not against Lawson driving another car on short notice but would want him to still be available to the two Red Bull teams as a reserve driver if required.

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“It would depend on which terms and if we needed him back that we could have him back quite quickly,” Horner said. “But we’d certainly… if they needed a driver next weekend, we’d be open to that. But that’s a Williams question rather than one for us to answer.”

RACER understands it was not just Red Bull that was approached to understand potential driver availability, but Williams refused to be drawn on whether a change could be made as soon as next weekend’s race at Monza.

“We are not going to get into speculation,” a team spokesperson said. “There have been a lot of false rumors about Logan and his seat this year. As James [Vowles] maintains, F1 is a meritocracy but as a team we are focused on delivering the best possible results in the upcoming races.”

Sargeant will stop racing for Williams in 2025 when he is replaced by Carlos Sainz, who has signed a multi-year deal to join Alex Albon at the team.

Marko promises Lawson decision next month

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says a decision on Liam Lawson’s future will be made public next month amid current stability within the organization’s driver program. Sergio Perez had been under pressure heading into the summer break and it appeared …

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says a decision on Liam Lawson’s future will be made public next month amid current stability within the organization’s driver program.

Sergio Perez had been under pressure heading into the summer break and it appeared he could be replaced during the shutdown, but a meeting including Marko and team principal Christian Horner led to a decision to stick with Perez. That meant no promotion for Daniel Ricciardo or Yuki Tsunoda — moves that would have opened up a seat for Lawson (pictured above) — but Marko says the New Zealander’s future will be resolved soon.

“It’s a tough time for someone like Liam, especially as he jumped into the car under very, very difficult circumstances and did very well [last season],” Marko told ESPN. “We rate him high and he will get his chance. Just wait. September, you will have an answer.

“Daniel was put in the car and if he would have been significantly faster than Yuki there was an idea to bring him back to Red Bull Racing. But he also had this up and down [form]. So, so far, he didn’t fulfill the criteria to be a Red Bull Racing driver.”

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Marko also explained why Red Bull decided to continue with Perez despite a poor run of performances, saying it is down to the team to provide him with a car that he can produce more consistent form in, rather than blame the driver himself.

“We believe that we can turn it round and make it more stable for him. To be teammate to Max [Verstappen] is not the nicest thing in Formula 1. Checo has his merits — he’s won races.

“Our discussion was not just about drivers, it was regular discussions we had of, ‘What can we do to improve the situation?’ We have to try to make the car more easy to drive.

“The more difficult the car is to drive, the more the difference to Max comes out because he’s such an outstanding talent. If the rear steps out he won’t lift the throttle, he’s just, ‘Yeah, it’s a little bit nervous.’ Checo says it’s difficult or it’s undriveable.

“To be next to Max is a different story. So we said let’s try to make the car more easy to drive, get more balance — which is also something Max wants — and the best thing is to keep going with Checo. The main problem was this up and down. He had some very good results, very good performances, then the next day he was half a second or so off Max.”

Lawson hopes extra F1 outings strengthen his claim to a future seat

Liam Lawson says his extra outing at the Qatar Grand Prix gives him a further chance to prove to Red Bull he should be in a race seat in future, despite his 2024 role already being finalized. At the Japanese Grand Prix, AlphaTauri confirmed Yuki …

Liam Lawson says his extra outing at the Qatar Grand Prix gives him a further chance to prove to Red Bull he should be in a race seat in future, despite his 2024 role already being finalized.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, AlphaTauri confirmed Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be its driver line-up next year, with Lawson reverting to a reserve role for the team alongside the same duties at Red Bull. The New Zealander has impressed throughout his spell standing in for the injured Ricciardo so far, and with Ricciardo again missing Qatar despite a successful simulator session earlier this week, Lawson sees another opportunity to strengthen his future hopes.

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“In Japan, the news became public that I’m back to the role of reserve driver next year,” Lawson said. “Obviously, my goal is to be in Formula 1 full-time, so as much as it’s disappointing, it’s still my goal, and it’s now about trying to make sure that I can make that happen in the future. Right now, I’ve still got this opportunity to keep trying to show something, and I’ll try to make the most of it.

“For now, as long as this lasts, I’ll focus on it, and then once I step back from F1, it’ll be full focus on preparing for the final round of the Super Formula championship at Suzuka on the weekend of the Mexican Grand Prix. It’ll be very different adjusting back to the car, but it’s certainly been useful having driven so many laps at Suzuka throughout the Grand Prix weekend.”

The added challenge of this weekend’s race at Lusail is that its the first Sprint that Lawson will have tackled, and he admits he’s also not certain AlphaTauri will be as competitive as it was in Singapore and Japan.

“I’m not sure how we’ll get on there or how the upgrades will work,” he said. “I think it’s hard to say, because where we struggled in Japan was mainly in the high speed, in Sector 1. We still have more to learn about our new package, and I’m not so sure that Qatar is the type of circuit that will suit our car.

“Learning takes time, and we’ve got more opportunities in Qatar to try and get the most out of it. However, it’s also a Sprint weekend, so at the same time, that makes it quite tricky, especially in my situation. I’ve never driven here, so going into the Sprint weekend will be extra tough.

“I drove the Qatar track in the simulator at the end of last week. It’s very fast, a very high-speed circuit and quite unique, and I’ve not seen many tracks like it, as there’s only one low-speed corner in the whole track. The rest is just fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh gear, so I think it’s going to be exciting to drive.

“With only one free practice session, we drivers will have to know where to improve because it’ll get faster at night when it’s much cooler, and we need to know exactly how to extract everything out of the car. I’m expecting it to be tougher than the races we’ve just done.”