Red Bull will have a new driver pairing for the first time in five years ahead of the 2025 season as Liam Lawson graduates from Visa Cash App RB.
The Kiwi managed to beat ex-teammate Yuki Tsunoda to the gig after a six-race battle between the two to decide who got the promotion.
Interestingly, the Japanese driver won the qualifying head-to-head 6-0, but that wasn’t considered enough for a full-time Red Bull drive.
Lawson has only 11 races of experience compared to Tsunoda’s 87, but at the age of 22, he is now considered to be part of the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s long-term plans and will partner reigning champion Max Verstappen.
Verstappen sent Sergio Perez a message after his Red Bull sacking, thanking him for his service. The Mexican driver will now drop off the Formula 1 grid for the first time since 2010 – before his rookie season.
Whether or not the change will be positive remains to be seen, but it will be hard for Lawson to do worse than Perez managed during the 2024 season.
Liam Lawson’s ‘character’ helped him to beat Yuki Tsunoda to Red Bull drive
Lawson his dad about signing for Red Bull soon after getting the news, and joked that he would be testing at Silverstone (where Red Bull shakes their cars down) rather than Imola (where RB does).
He has won in so many categories and truly earned his shot at the top, but there’s a question to be posed as to whether he’s ready and could have benefitted from another year in the junior team.
READ MORE: Carlos Sainz’s emotional farewell to dear ‘friend’ Sergio Perez after he lost his Red Bull seat
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Craig Slater mentioned how he thinks that the Kiwi’s character helped him to win the seat.
“My understanding is that it’s Lawson’s strength of character and particular aspects of his mentality and attitude to his career thus far, which has maybe just got him the nod ahead of Tsunoda who has this Honda affiliation.
“It’s a big opportunity but it’s also a very big task for a young driver to come in alongside Max Verstappen.”
Can Red Bull reclaim the Constructors’ Championship in 2025 with Liam Lawson?
The reason why Red Bull lost their Constructors’ Championship this year was because Perez’s performance regressed further from the year prior.
Their car did drop off by the end of the year, so they face a lot of work over the winter to re-establish a high level of performance.
Both McLaren and Ferrari were quicker at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and could get even stronger before the 2025 season opener in Melbourne.
READ MORE: Christian Horner pinpoints the key reason Red Bull chose Liam Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda for 2025
Lawson has proven that he can mix it with the big guns after irritating Fernando Alonso at the United States Grand Prix.
Doing anything similar while maintaining the speed and promise he has shown throughout his career should be enough for him to help Red Bull win both titles if they can give him a car capable of doing so.
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