Liam Lawson Confirmed as Red Bull Driver for 2025, Replacing Sergio Perez

New Zealander Liam Lawson is set to compete for Red Bull alongside world champion Max Verstappen in 2025, following the team’s decision to remove Sergio Perez. The announcement of Lawson’s promotion from the junior team, Racing Bulls, came one day after Red Bull and Perez disclosed their mutual agreement to terminate his contract, which followed a season of underwhelming performance by the Mexican driver. The 22-year-old will step into a primary Formula 1 role, having participated in only 11 Grands Prix over two seasons. Despite Lawson not consistently outperforming his teammate Yuki Tsunoda during this period, Red Bull opted for him over the Japanese driver. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated: “Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with 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.” Lawson will become Verstappen’s fourth teammate since Australian Daniel Ricciardo chose to depart Red Bull at the close of 2018. Perez joins Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon as drivers who were dropped by Red Bull after failing to meet the team’s performance expectations for a second driver. Horner commented: “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.” Lawson’s F1 debut occurred at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, where he substituted for Ricciardo, who sustained a broken hand in a practice crash at Zandvoort. He secured a point by finishing 10th in only his third Grand Prix in Singapore, before Ricciardo rejoined for the season’s concluding four races. Ricciardo had initially been placed in the car to demonstrate his suitability for a return to Red Bull alongside Verstappen, but he was ultimately replaced by Lawson following this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. Since his return, Lawson has only out-qualified Tsunoda on two occasions, specifically for the sprint races at the Sao Paulo and Qatar Grands Prix, and recorded an average one-lap time that was 0.077 seconds slower. However, Red Bull has consistently harbored doubts about Tsunoda’s suitability for the senior team, noting his presence at Racing Bulls is influenced by engine supplier Honda. His participation in a Red Bull during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi did not alter their perspective. Among the performances that have persuaded Red Bull to give Lawson an opportunity are his assertive drive to ninth place at the United States Grand Prix, where he outperformed Aston Martin’s two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, and a competitive engagement with Perez in Mexico City that resulted in contact. His additional points finish was another ninth place, achieved after qualifying fifth, at the wet Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where he finished two positions behind Tsunoda in both qualifying and the race. Lawson commented: “To be announced as a 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.” He added: “It’s been an incredible journey so far. 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.” Frenchman Isack Hadjar, who secured second place in Formula 2 this season, is anticipated to join Racing Bulls alongside Tsunoda.