Liam Lawson has been chosen to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for next season as the Mexican was off the pace.
Perez only scored four podiums this season, and the final trip to the rostrum came at the Chinese Grand Prix in April.
The Mexican was a significant reason why Red Bull finished third in the Constructors’ Championship despite Max Verstappen comfortably taking his fourth title.
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
666 |
| 2 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
652 |
| 3 |
Red Bull Racing |
589 |
| 4 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
468 |
| 5 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
94 |
| 6 |
Alpine F1 Team |
65 |
| 7 |
Haas F1 Team |
58 |
| 8 |
Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team |
46 |
| 9 |
Williams F1 Team |
17 |
| 10 |
Sauber F1 Team |
4 |
The 34-year-old made a lot of errors this year, although Perez had some superb moments at Red Bull such as winning the Monaco Grand Prix in 2022.
Lawson is a risky replacement as the Kiwi has only raced in Formula 1 11 times, less than half a season at the highest level.
Despite his lack of experience, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner named the quality he saw in Lawson, which makes him confident the Kiwi can compete with Verstappen.
Christian Horner sees enough ‘robustness’ in Liam Lawson to partner Max Verstappen
Being Verstappen’s teammate is one of the most difficult positions for a Formula 1 driver because the four-time world champion is relentless.
The Dutchman had outperformed every teammate he had faced since 2019 when Daniel Ricciardo decided to leave and join Renault.
READ MORE: Christian Horner pinpoints the moment Sergio Perez’s 2024 Red Bull season got ‘very tough’
Horner explained that Lawson doesn’t have much experience in Formula 1 but the Kiwi has been impressive over his short career.
He told TalkSPORT: “Liam is a product of our junior team. He’s a young talent that we took on six years ago and have nurtured him through the lower formula.
“As we did with Sebastian Vettel, as we have done with Max. And I think that we’re seeing in him a character and a robustness to deal with the pressure of being Max’s teammate.
“He’s only done 11 Grand Prix, but what he’s shown in those 11 Grand Prix has impressed us, the engineering staff, and of course, the scrutiny that he will be under as Max’s teammate.”
Verstappen’s distinct driving style can make it very tricky for his teammates to keep up as the car gets sharper on the front axle.
Alex Albon struggled with the Red Bull’s incredibly responsive front end, and Lawson must be wary of it in 2025.
Liam Lawson is a risky signing for Red Bull
Lawson has developed as a Red Bull junior throughout most of his career in single-seaters, and he hasn’t yet completed a full season in the world championship.
The Kiwi will have to be robust, as fighting for podiums and race victories comes with more pressure than scrapping for points in the top 10.
Lawson hasn’t been afraid to battle more experienced drivers such as Perez, which he must do in 2025 against his teammate Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen will likely have the upper hand within the team on most weekends, but Lawson will need to pick up the pieces when an opportunity arrives to support the team.
