Liam Lawson Earns Red Bull Seat Alongside Max Verstappen

Liam Lawson the 22-year-old New Zealander will join Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s teammate in 2025, following the team’s decision to part ways with Sergio Perez. Red Bull and Perez mutually agreed to terminate his contract, ending a disappointing season for the Mexican driver. Although Lawson has not consistently outperformed his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull prefers Lawson over the Japanese driver.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised Lawson for his performances with the second team, Racing Bulls and noted that he has demonstrated his ability to compete with the best drivers in F1. Lawson’s track record includes a strong debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix and a points finish in Singapore. Despite his relatively limited F1 experience—11 races across two seasons—Liam Lawson impressed with standout performances including a ninth-place finish at the United States Grand Prix where he bested Fernando Alonso.

Lawson will become the fourth driver to partner Verstappen since 2018 following Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. Red Bull has remained unconvinced by Tsunoda’s abilities and has chosen Lawson instead, despite Lawson’s mixed results. Lawson has out-qualified Tsunoda only twice this season but his racing instincts particularly his battle with Perez in Mexico and his points finishes earned Red Bull’s trust.

Lawson expressed excitement about joining the senior team, calling it a lifelong dream and looking forward to learning from Verstappen. Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar, who finished second in Formula 2 this season is expected to join Racing Bulls alongside Tsunoda for 2025.