Liam Lawson has said any people who think he should be beating Max Verstappen from the off at Red Bull are “just stupid”, given he is still finding his feet in Formula 1.

Lawson was promoted to Red Bull Racing after two short stints at Red Bull’s sister team in 2023 and 2024 respectively, earning a seat alongside the reigning World Champion after only 11 Grand Prix starts.

Liam Lawson makes ‘just stupid’ claim over early Max Verstappen comparison

The New Zealander has been given the target of getting as close to Verstappen as possible this season, with Red Bull looking to regain the Constructors’ Championship from McLaren.

With Verstappen being the reigning four-time World Champion, Lawson acknowledges that he may not be able to win the in-team battle at Red Bull this season, and gave a withering view for those to think otherwise.

“In this sport, what happens is that your teammate is your biggest competitor – but my teammate is also Max Verstappen,” Lawson explained to Dutch publication De Telegraaf.

“A four-time champion, who has been with this team for almost a decade. For me, it’s a great opportunity to learn from him and develop myself.

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“I am still very inexperienced, I am aware of that. If anyone thinks you can just beat Max when you are just coming in, then you are just stupid.”

While he is looking to gain experience at Red Bull this season, Lawson did add that he will look to get up to Verstappen’s pace eventually, but believes it is “not realistic” for that to be expected immediately.

He also explained the mental toll it could take on him if he were to expect World Champion levels of performance from himself in his first full season in Formula 1, too.

“I think so, but that takes time,” he said.

“Of course I want to get to that point as soon as possible, but it’s not realistic to expect that from me now.

“But I would completely crush myself if, without much experience and as a new member of a team, I thought I could beat someone who has been driving here for 10 years.”

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