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Red Bull Racing have announced New Zealander Liam Lawson as Sergio Perez’s replacement for the next F1 season.
Liam Lawson made his F1 debut last year. (AP Photo)
Formula One team Red Bull Racing have announced Liam Lawson of New Zealand as replacement for Sergio Perez for the next season. Lawson will thus become four-time world champion Max Verstappen’s new team teammate.
Mexican Perez’s departure was announced on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Lawson has earned three top-10 finishes so far in his fledgling F1 career and he steps up from Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls after under-pressure Perez departed following four seasons with the team.
“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,” Lawson said in a statement on Thursday.
“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,” he added.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said Lawson has proven himself a capable driver and hopes the young driver can rise up to the challenge.
“I’m delighted to announce that Liam Lawson will join the Team in 2025. Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with 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,” Horner said.
“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,” he added.