Liam Lawson will drive for Red Bull in F1 2025 as the team confirms Sergio Pérez’s replacement

Liam Lawson will drive for Red Bull in Formula 1 next year after being named as Sergio Pérez’s successor for the 2025 season.

Less than a day after it was announced that Pérez and Red Bull were parting ways, Red Bull confirmed that 22-year-old Lawson would fill the vacancy and compete alongside Max Verstappen from next year.

Pérez’s departure came after he endured his worst season since joining Red Bull in 2021, finishing eighth in the championship. The team had to choose between Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, who both drove for Red Bull’s sister team RB last year as Pérez’s replacement.

The team ultimately chose Lawson, who said in Thursday’s announcement 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 would like to thank the entire RB team for their support. The last six races have played a big role in my preparation for this next step.”

Lawson added that he was “very excited to work with Max and learn from a world champion. I have no doubt that I will learn from his expertise.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner justified the decision by saying that Lawson’s performances in his two previous appearances at RB “have proven that he is not only capable of delivering strong results, but that he is also a real racing driver who doesn’t Afraid to compete with the best. “Come out victorious.”

Horner added: “His arrival continues the team’s long history of success within the Red Bull Junior program and he follows in the footsteps of championship and racing drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and of course Max Verstappen.”

“There is no doubt that it is a huge task to drive alongside Max, a four-time champion and undoubtedly one of the best drivers Formula 1 has ever had, but I am sure Liam will can meet this 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 serving as Red Bull’s reserve driver for the past two seasons. He received a call-up to drive for RB, Red Bull’s sister team, at the weekend of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix after Daniel Ricciardo injured his hand in an accident during training. The Australian driver underwent surgery and Lawson competed in five races in his place, making an immediate impact. Thanks to a ninth place at the Singapore GP, he scored two points over the five weekends.

But there was no room for Lawson in the 2024 starting lineup. Ricciardo returned to the grid ahead of the 2023 United States Grand Prix, and RB’s driver lineup for 2024 consisted of Ricciardo and Tsunoda. Lawson’s final race came a few weeks later as he concluded the 2023 Super Formula season, and he only served as a reserve driver for both Red Bull teams that year. It meant watching from the wings and waiting to see if he would get a full-time spot in the starting lineup.

The moment finally came just before the Singapore GP. Lawson replaced Ricciardo a few days after that race weekend, and the New Zealand driver faced two tripleheaders to end the year, which also included three sprint races. It was his chance to prove he belonged in the starting lineup.

Tsunoda outscored Lawson in all six race weekends, winning the race outright 4-2. In the sprint races, Lawson was ahead 2-1 in qualifying and the shorter race. By the end of the season, Lawson contributed four points to RB’s overall result thanks to two ninth places (Austin and Brazil).

Continuing doubts from Red Bull about Tsunoda led to them passing over the more experienced Japanese driver and instead turning to Lawson as Pérez’s replacement after just eleven Grand Prix starts.

The decision raises questions about Tsunoda’s future considering the length of his tenure, his fifth season at RB and his performances this season.

Lawson’s vacant place at RB is expected to be taken by Isack Hadjar, the Formula 2 championship runner-up who is the leading member of Red Bull’s youth program. Liam Lawson will drive for Red Bull in F1 2025 as the team confirms Sergio Pérez’s replacement

Photo above: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images