It has finally been revealed that Liam Lawson will take over Sergio Perez at Red Bull, following the exit of the Mexican at the end of 2024.
Perez endured one of his worst seasons at Red Bull, having effectively cost the team a chance to defend their Constructors’ Championship.
It means Red Bull now loses millions in prize money, while rivals McLaren will gain a considerable amount more having won the title for the first time since the 1998 season.
Lawson will be the fifth teammate for Max Verstappen in seven years at Red Bull, as he attempts to take on one of the toughest jobs in Formula 1. Not only will he be up against some of F1’s greatest drivers at the sharp end of the field, but he will also be directly compared to Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
There is a considerable amount of hype around the 18-year-old, however, Christian Horner thinks there is one advantage Lawson has over Kimi Antonelli when speaking on the ESPN Unlapped podcast.
Liam Lawson is more ’rounded’ says Christian Horner
Lawson will have a challenge going up against Verstappen, considering he has less than 30 race starts under his belt.
Horner believes the 22-year-old will be one to watch next year and has explained why he isn’t concerned about him going up against Mercedes’ star driver.
“A Hamilton/Leclerc lineup at Ferrari looks very strong, we’ve seen the Norris/Piastri lineup at McLaren is very strong, Russell/Antonelli is going to be a similar level of experience,” said Horner.
“I think Liam is more rounded and experienced generally than Antonelli. It’s going to be tight.”
Liam Lawson excited to be Max Verstappen’s teammate
Damon Hill has expressed his excitement to see Lawson alongside Verstappen, while the New Zealander is also anticipating going up against Verstappen.
Lawson has a big task ahead of him considering how Perez struggled in 2024, with Verstappen winning the title in the third-best car while the Mexican only scored 43 points in 16 races.
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Having only competed in 11 races so far, many F1 fans are questioning why Tsunoda was not put in place considering he has over 70 more starts.
Lawson himself is excited to go up against Verstappen, as he looks to be one of the first drivers to beat him in the same team.
