The news that everyone had been waiting for from Red Bull Racing has finally been confirmed.
After just 11 Grand Prix, Liam Lawson has been selected as the driver to replace Sergio Perez for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Perez confirmed his Red Bull exit on Wednesday, and the team have wasted no time announcing his replacement.
The 22-year-old driver from New Zealand made his Formula 1 debut in 2023.
He was drafted in to cover for Daniel Ricciardo after he broke his hand at the Dutch Grand Prix just a few races after his own return to the grid following Nyck de Vries’ dismissal by AlphaTauri.
Lawson showed flashes of brilliance in that five-race run, including outqualifying his new teammate Max Verstappen in Singapore.
Team principal Christian Horner has played a key role in the Kiwi’s promotion, with Helmut Marko and Horner agreeing on Lawson as Perez’s replacement going into a shareholders meeting last week.
Horner previously informed Lawson he wouldn’t have a race seat in 2024, but it wasn’t long until it became clear that he would be returning to the grid sooner rather than later.
In an interview with The Times, Lawson has now shared the details of what Horner told him when confirming he would be a Red Bull Racing driver next season.
Liam Lawson shares ‘famous’ Christian Horner line after Red Bull promotion
Verstappen is undoubtedly Red Bull’s greatest-ever driver, having matched Sebastian Vettel’s tally of world championships, but dominating the sport in a way few before him have ever achieved.
This has greatly benefitted Red Bull but also made finding a suitable teammate for the 27-year-old extremely difficult.
The likes of Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly struggled and while Perez reached a point of no return this year, he lasted longer than any driver alongside the Dutchman.
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That responsibility now turns to Lawson to step up to the mark and help Red Bull return to the top of the Constructors’ Championship.
In the interview, Lawson was asked what Horner said on the phone to him when confirming the news said with a grin: “It is something I’ll never forget. The famous one liner, ‘Welcome to Red Bull Racing.’ ”
Liam Lawson loses RB head-to-head with Yuki Tsunoda but wins the race for 2025 Red Bull seat
When comparing the stats, it’s hard to immediately understand why Red Bull have chosen Lawson over Tsunoda.
The Japanese driver outqualified his teammate on every occasion this year and scored more points than Lawson during their time together.
Tsunoda was excellent during his Red Bull test, although a decision on who was going to replace Perez may have already been made at that point.
| Category | Yuki Tsunoda | Liam Lawson |
| 2024 points | 8 | 4 |
| Grand Prix results | 4 | 2 |
| Grand Prix qualifying | 6 | 0 |
| Grand Prix wins | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix poles | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix podiums | 0 | 0 |
| Best finish | 7th | 9th |
| Retirements | 1 | 0 |
| Retirements (classified finish) | 0 | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix points finishes | 2 | 2 |
| Sprint results | 0 | 3 |
| Sprint Qualifying | 0 | 3 |
| Sprint wins | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint poles | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint podiums | 0 | 0 |
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What the statistics don’t show is the difference in experience between the two drivers.
Lawson has come very close to matching Tsunoda’s one-lap pace, but needed less than a dozen races to reach that level, compared to the 24-year-old’s four seasons in the sport.
The fight Lawson showed against Fernando Alonso and later in the season Sergio Perez more closely aligns with how Red Bull back Verstappen during his duels as well.
The pressure will be on immediately for Lawson to succeed and prove he’s a better option than Perez and Tsunoda, but he’s never shied away from a challenge before.
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