On a Thursday in late December, Red Bull settled the last open seat on its driver roster by naming Liam Lawson, a 22-year-old New Zealander who came up through its junior ranks, to partner Max Verstappen in 2025. It is a quiet kind of arrival: a young driver who has only a handful of races behind him steps into the team's senior car, filling the space Sergio Perez leaves behind. Whether a short apprenticeship can prepare someone for sitting beside a four-time champion is a question the coming season will answer.
Liam Lawson Named Red Bull Racing Driver, Replacing Sergio Perez Alongside Max Verstappen in 2025
The 2025 season will show how his short record holds up.
Mark
So the headline is simple: Lawson replaces Perez. Why does it matter beyond a seat swap?
Mimi
Because of how fast it happened. Lawson debuted only in 2023, and he's now at the senior team with a few races behind him.
Mark
And those races weren't a full season, were they?
Mimi
No. Five starts in 2023 after replacing the injured Ricciardo, then reserve duty in 2024 before returning with Racing Bulls for the last six races.
Luke
Worth being careful there. The source says the last six races were important to his preparation, but that's Lawson's own account. It doesn't say how Red Bull weighed them in the decision.
Mark
Fair. What do we actually know about his results?
Mimi
Points in Singapore 2023, in only his second race, and another points finish at the 2024 United States Grand Prix.
Luke
Two points finishes is what's confirmed. Anything about how he compares with Perez, or how he'll fare against Verstappen, is beyond what's reported.
Mark
And Perez?
Mimi
He joined in 2021 and finishes eighth in the standings. The source doesn't say why he's leaving.
Luke
Right, and I'd keep that gap visible. The piece reports the departure, not the reasoning behind it.
El Pulso
- Red Bull's last open seat is filled, and the announcement closes a long roster question in a single stroke.
- Lawson steps from a reserve role and a Racing Bulls campaign straight into the senior team beside a four-time world champion.
- Perez's departure after an eighth-place finish leaves a vacancy that Lawson must now answer with results.
- Lawson's short Formula One record, a handful of races across two seasons, will be tested immediately against Verstappen's benchmark.
On a Thursday in late December, Red Bull settled the last open seat on its driver roster by naming Liam Lawson, a 22-year-old New Zealander who came up through its junior ranks, to partner Max Verstappen in 2025. It is a quiet kind of arrival: a young driver who has only a handful of races behind him steps into the team's senior car, filling the space Sergio Perez leaves behind. Whether a short apprenticeship can prepare someone for sitting beside a four-time champion is a question the coming season will answer.
On Thursday, Red Bull confirmed that Liam Lawson will race alongside Max Verstappen in the 2025 Formula One World Championship, taking the seat Sergio Perez is vacating. With that announcement, the team's driver roster was complete.
Lawson, 22 and born in New Zealand, joined the Red Bull Junior Programme in 2019 and climbed the ladder through its sister outfit. He made his Formula One debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, stepping in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, and within two races he had scored his first championship points at Singapore.
He began 2024 without a regular race seat, serving as a reserve driver, before returning to the grid with Racing Bulls and earning a points finish at the United States Grand Prix. In his own words, those final six races with the team were a major part of his preparation for this step.
In the team's statement, Lawson described the move as a lifelong dream, one he had worked toward since he was eight years old. He thanked the VCARB team and the Red Bull leadership for their belief in him, and said he could not wait to learn from a world champion. What comes next is the real test: how a short Formula One record holds up in the senior car, beside the reigning champion.
On Thursday, Red Bull announced that Liam Lawson will race alongside Max Verstappen in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship, taking the seat Sergio Perez is leaving. The announcement filled the last open place on Red Bull's driver roster.
Lawson is 22 and was born in New Zealand. He joined the Red Bull Junior Programme in 2019, and his route to the senior team ran through its sister outfit. His Formula One debut came at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, driving for Scuderia AlphaTauri in place of the injured Daniel Ricciardo.
He did not take long to get on the scoresheet. In only his second race, at the Singapore Grand Prix, Lawson earned his first championship points. He went on to compete in five races for the team that season.
He began 2024 as a reserve driver for both Red Bull teams, without a regular race seat. He returned to Grand Prix racing with Racing Bulls, as the AlphaTauri outfit is now known, and secured a points finish at the United States Grand Prix. He finished the season with the Bulls, and Lawson's own words in the announcement point to the importance of that stretch: he credited the last six races with VCARB as a major part of his preparation for the next step.
In the team's statement, Lawson called being named an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver a lifelong dream, something he had wanted and worked toward since he was eight years old. He thanked the whole VCARB team for its support, and also thanked Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and the wider Red Bull family for believing in him and giving him the opportunity.
He was also direct about the challenge of the pairing. He said he was excited to work alongside Verstappen and to learn from a world champion, adding that he had no doubt he would benefit from that expertise, and that he could not wait to get going.
Perez, for his part, joined Red Bull in 2021 and is leaving after finishing eighth in the drivers' standings.
What comes next is the test itself. Lawson will line up next to the reigning world champion, and the 2025 season will show how his short record in Formula One, a handful of races across two seasons, holds up in the team's senior car.
Citas Notables
Being announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver is a lifelong dream, something he has worked toward since he was eight years old.— Liam Lawson
He is excited to work alongside Verstappen and learn from a world champion.— Liam Lawson
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