Liam Lawson announced as Sergio Perez replacement at Red Bull

As expected, Liam Lawson has been confirmed as Max Verstappen’s teammate for 2025, taking over from Sergio Perez after the Mexican driver’s departure was made official yesterday.

Lawson, 22, made his F1 debut at the Dutch Grand Prix in 2023, filling in at AlphaTauri for five races after Daniel Ricciardo crashed and broke his hand. A year later he replaced the Aussie permanently at the team, taking over for the final six races of 2024.

And now he’s into the hot seat beside Max Verstappen, who in recent years has absolutely crushed Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and subsequently Perez in the same machinery. Lawson has done… 11 grands prix. And scored points three times. This could be interesting.

“To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing Driver is a lifelong dream for me, this is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old,” said the New Zealander. “It’s been an incredible journey so far. I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team at VCARB for their support, the last six races have played a huge part in my preparation for this next step.

“I also want to thank, Christian, Helmut and the whole Red Bull family for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I am super excited to work alongside Max and learn from a World Champion, I have no doubt I will learn from his expertise. I can’t wait to get going!”

And team boss Christian Horner added: “Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls have demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but that he’s also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top.

“His arrival continues the Team’s long history of promoting from within the Red Bull Junior Programme and he follows in the footsteps of championship and race-winning drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and of course, Max Verstappen.

“There’s no doubt that racing alongside Max, a four-time champion and undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers ever seen in F1, is a daunting task, but I’m sure Liam can rise to that challenge and deliver some outstanding results for us next year.”

Meanwhile spare a thought for Lawson’s (now ex) teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who has been grinding away at the Red Bull junior team for four years now but has still been overlooked for promotion. In his recent six-race stint together with Lawson, he scored eight points to Lawson’s four.

Good luck Liam, you’ve been properly thrown in at the deep end…