Liam Lawson will make his official Red Bull debut next weekend at the Australian Grand Prix. A year ago, he wasn’t on the grid at all.
Lawson had deputised admirably for an injured Daniel Ricciardo during the 2023 season. However, Christian Horner informed him that he wouldn’t have a seat for the start of 2024.
The team wanted to give Ricciardo a chance to properly audition for a Red Bull drive. But the Australian couldn’t beat Yuki Tsunoda, fuelling speculation that Lawson would return.
| CATEGORY | VOL. |
| Races | 11 |
| Laps | 650 |
| Points | 6 |
| Best finish | 9th (x3) |
| Best grid | 5th |
| DNFs | 1 |
And after the Singapore Grand Prix, with a quarter of the season remaining, Ricciardo lost his drive. Now Lawson had his chance to audition for the spot alongside Max Verstappen.
While Tsunoda beat the New Zealander, Red Bull were impressed that the 23-year-old was close to his teammate at the outset. Even though he only has 11 races of Formula 1 experience, Horner and Helmut Marko took a gamble.
It’s been a truly remarkable rise. But speaking to GQ, Lawson revealed that only one driver sent him a congratulatory message when his move was confirmed.
Liam Lawson praises classy Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull text
Perez had signed a contract extension to stay at Red Bull for another two years, but by the end of the season it was clear that he wouldn’t see out that deal. The team engaged him in talks over an exit agreement.
Around a week and a half after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, they confirmed Perez’s departure. Lawson was announced almost immediately as his replacement.
Surprisingly, Ricciardo was the only driver to send him a message afterwards. If there’s anyone on the grid who might hold a grudge against Lawson, it’s him.
Instead, he was ‘so good’ with his colleague amid rampant speculation. He understood that it wasn’t personal.
“I actually spoke to Daniel a lot when it was happening,” Lawson said. “I will always have so much respect for him. Throughout the whole ordeal, from when the rumours started to when they were confirmed, he never said a bad word about or towards me.
“He never made it about me and him, because at the end of the day, it wasn’t our decision. It’s up to the team, and what they decide to do. He was so good to me, through all of it.
“Fast forward to December, when I got the Red Bull seat, and Daniel is still the only driver, past or present, to send me a message about it, congratulating me. It says a lot about him as a person.”
Liam Lawson has already been the subject of a harsh joke in the F1 paddock
Ricciardo is the last driver to truly his old own against Max Verstappen. Perez lasted four seasons, but was only ever a distant a number two.
Peter Windsor called Lawson ‘hugely impressive’ after hearing that he stood trackside during F1 testing and watched his rivals circulate. He’s doing all he can to prepare himself for Melbourne.
Both driver and team have tried to control expectations, pointing out that he hasn’t driven most of the early tracks on the calendar. It seems Red Bull will be uncharacteristically patient.
The F1 paddock may not be so forgiving. In fact, one Red Bull rival made a ‘harsh’ joke about Lawson during testing, suggesting that the RB21 looked like a world-beater with Verstappen at the wheel, but fourth quickest when he handed over to his teammate.
