Red Bull has confirmed Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s new teammate for the 2025 Formula 1 season, following the announcement that the team will drop Sergio Perez after a disappointing year. Liam Lawson, 22, will make the leap to the front-line team after having competed in just 11 grands prix over the past two seasons, predominantly with the second team, Racing Bulls.
The announcement comes just one day after Red Bull’s decision to part ways with Perez, who had failed to meet the team’s expectations throughout the season. Despite not consistently outperforming teammate Yuki Tsunoda, the team has preferred Lawson, with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner highlighting Lawson’s natural racing instincts and resilience.
“Liam’s performances across his two stints with Racing Bulls have shown that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results, but that he’s also a real racer. He’s not afraid to compete with the best and come out on top,” said Horner.
Lawson replaces Perez, becoming the fourth driver to partner Verstappen since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure in 2018. Red Bull let Perez go for not meeting the performance standards expected from their second driver, following Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon.
“Racing alongside Max, a four-time world champion and one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, is undoubtedly a daunting task, but I’m confident that Liam will rise to that challenge and achieve outstanding results for us next season,” Horner added.
Lawson made his F1 debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, stepping in as a substitute for Ricciardo after the Australian broke his hand during practice. In just his third race, Lawson secured a point with a 10th-place finish in Singapore. His strong performances continued into 2024, with a series of impressive drives, including a ninth-place finish at the United States Grand Prix, where he outpaced two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
Although Lawson has not consistently out-qualified Tsunoda, with the two drivers separated by an average of 0.077 seconds in lap times, Red Bull has shown more confidence in Lawson, particularly after his competitive drive in the United States and his battles with Perez in Mexico.
“I’m incredibly excited to be announced as a Red Bull Racing driver—this has been a dream of mine since I was eight years old,” Lawson said. “It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I can’t wait to work alongside Max and learn from him. I’m ready for the next challenge.”
With Lawson set to join Verstappen at Red Bull in 2025, the young driver is ready to begin a new chapter in his F1 career, with high hopes placed on his ability to learn and grow alongside one of the sport’s most dominant champions.
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