How ‘incredibly fast’ Liam Lawson stacked up against Max Verstappen in GT cars ahead of Red Bull debut

Liam Lawson will become the latest driver to go up against Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2025.

The Kiwi driver impressed the Red Bull hierarchy in his substitute appearances for Daniel Ricciardo with Racing Bulls (previously AlphaTauri) in 2023 and 2024.

The 22-year-old scored four points in the final six races of 2024 – but he was outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda. However, Christian Horner signed Lawson to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Horner felt Lawson had ‘the right mindset’ for Red Bull and subsequently brought him on board for 2025. The Kiwi driver now faces a monumental challenge in his first full season in F1.

Teammate Verstappen won his fourth consecutive title in 2024 with nine wins. The Dutchman has dominated every driver on the other side of the Red Bull garage since 2018 as they struggled to find performance in the car like the 27-year-old.

The likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Perez have all either been demoted or dropped entirely by Red Bull after failing to match Verstappen. Lawson will not be looking to have the same fate.

Liam Lawson was ‘incredibly fast’ like Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in GT cars

Lawson thinks Verstappen is simply the best in the world in response to why his previous teammates have struggled against him. Now, the Milton Keynes-based outfit are preparing the Kiwi driver for what will perhaps be his biggest challenge ever in F1.

Horner says Red Bull are not putting too much pressure on Lawson as they look to ease him gently into the team. But come the start of the season, the 22-year-old will have to be on his game to compete with Verstappen.

However, Jeroen Bleekemolen thinks Lawson is ‘very complete’ and on a similar level to the Dutchman through his time in other categories. The Kiwi driver previously competed in DTM alongside his F2 campaign in 2021.

Lawson won three races and grabbed 10 podiums in his first proper season in sportscars, losing the title by just three points. His Red Bull teammate has also occasionally driven GT and other sportscar with Verstappen expressing his desire to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Speaking with RacingNews365.nl, Bleekemolen thinks Lawson is ‘incredibly fast’ just like Verstappen in GT cars: “I think he’s a huge talent. He hasn’t really had an easy career, he’s had to make a few sidesteps. But everything he did, wherever he got into…

“He also ended up in my racing world a bit, with GT and DTM cars, so in the cars that I race with. But he got into those too and he was just incredibly fast. If you then extrapolate that to Verstappen, who also occasionally drives those kinds of cars for fun and is also just incredibly fast there.

“These are also just guys who go from pillar to post, get in everywhere but can really do a bit more than others. That’s how I see Lawson too. Also that trip to the Super Formula in Japan, that he went so fast there too.

“Those are really serious racing cars, they go really fast. So that’s very impressive, that guy is very complete.”

Could Liam Lawson compete against Max Verstappen in 2025?

Going up against Verstappen at Red Bull is a mammoth task for any driver, let alone someone who has only 11 Grand Prix starts. And Lawson knows that better than anyone.

Lawson is not expecting to fight for the championship in his first season with the team, but he is looking to help them reclaim the constructors’ title. Red Bull finished third behind McLaren and Ferrari in 2024.

It is clear that the Kiwi driver is highly rated by Red Bull. Lawson ‘really impressed’ Horner on his F1 debut with AlphaTauri at the Dutch GP in 2023.

However, Red Bull are notorious for making harsh decisions on their drivers mid-season, and Lawson could find himself at risk in 2025 if he cannot deliver.

Despite being snubbed of a full-time seat, Red Bull are keeping tabs on Tsunoda this season alongside Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls. The team could do another driver swap if the Japanese driver impresses with the Faenza-based outfit.