Red Bull Junior Team member Liam Lawson is a quick learner! Born in Pukekohe, Auckland, the New Zealander has set a special record, that of winning at least one race as a rookie in all the categories in which he has raced. Although we now have to add the words, “with the exception of Formula 1” to that sentence.
He started racing karts at the age of 7 and as a 13 year old, he got behind the wheel of a Formula First single-seater and immediately showed his class. In his very first season he took one win, one pole position and ten podium finishes to finish second in the championship. In 2016, he did even better, becoming the youngest ever Formula Ford champion, doing so in fine style. He started all 15 races from pole and set the fastest lap in every one of them, with 14 wins and a second place to his name. In 2017, it was time to make the move from New Zealand to Europe where he continued on his winning ways, finishing as runner-up in the ADAC Formula 4 series in his debut season. He joined the Red Bull Junior Driver Programme at the age of 17, moved to England and took part in the EFO (Formula 3 series) and the new FIA Formula 3 championship. Then, in 2021, he tackled two very different types of racing: Formula 2 and DTM, the German touring car championship, coming very close to taking the title in the latter.
Lawson first tried a Formula 1 car – our AT02 – in December 2021, in the Abu Dhabi Rookie Test at the Yas Marina Circuit. In 2022, Liam became our official Reserve Driver and drove for us in free practice at the Belgian and Mexican GPs and for Red Bull Racing in Abu Dhabi. In 2023 he was confirmed as our Reserve Driver, but when Daniel Ricciardo injured his hand in Friday free practice for the Dutch Grand Prix, Lawson was given a baptism of fire, slotted into the Australian’s car for the rest of the race weekend at the very tricky Zandvoort track. He acquitted himself well, going on to substitute for Ricciardo for the next four races, even scoring his first F1 points with a ninth place finish in Singapore. When Ricciardo returned for the United States Grand Prix, Lawson went back to his “day job,” racing in Japan’s highly competitive Super Formula series, finishing as runner-up in the championship. Liam is confirmed as our Reserve Driver for the 2024 Season.
