Liam Lawson faces a big test when he goes up against Max Verstappen at Red Bull this year, having replaced Sergio Perez.
Perez was ousted at the end of last season due to a run of poor form throughout the season, in which he only scored eight points in the final seven races.
His total points scored only put him eighth in the Drivers’ Championship in the third fastest car, prompting Red Bull to sever their ties to him early despite signing a contract extension earlier in 2024.
Lawson was always seen as the replacement given he was parachuted in at Racing Bulls to replace Daniel Ricciardo, although there have been questions over whether he can handle being the teammate of the ruthless Verstappen.
Helmut Marko believes Lawson has the mental capacity to deal with the Dutchman, something the experienced Yuki Tsunoda does not have according to the team. Christian Horner has said Red Bull will keep a ‘close eye’ on Tsunoda, as he still represents a viable backup if Lawson fails to deliver.
Although Red Bull has already been impressed by one thing Lawson did during his F1 debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, and a similar scenario could throw up his first race win according to journalist Nate Saunders on the ESPN Unlapped podcast.
Red Bull was impressed by Liam Lawson’s Dutch GP F1 debut
Lawson’s ability to put himself in a position to win is one of the main traits that Red Bull has chosen him as a successor to Perez, having seen it on display during the Dutch GP.
Although he was not in contention for the victory, he worked through the field in very tricky conditions and came close to scoring points. It became a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ at that stage, which is what impressed the team according to Saunders.
“His debut was in Zandvoort in the rain, really impressed Red Bull, and he just put himself in a position,” said Saunders.
“There was a point where he went wheel-to-wheel with Max and Horner said there was a point where he sat on the pit wall and was like ‘Please don’t put your car into him’ and it really impressed. They said they see a rise in his performances when there is a bit of chaos around in the races.”
Liam Lawson expected to outperform Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Lawson is being classed as among the five other rookies on the grid for this season, which also includes Mercedes hotshot Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman and Jack Doohan.
Antonelli also has big shoes to fill as he replaces Hamilton, although the Mercedes driver has said that he does not see himself in that role to alleviate some of the pressure.
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Discussing which of the six rookies he thinks will be the best, Sky Sports commentator David Croft believes Lawson will be the most successful.
Lawson is the most experienced with 11 Grands Prix under his belt, while also having worked extensively with Red Bull in their simulator prior to his race promotion.
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