Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson is part of a generation of drivers whose route to Formula 1 was anything but straightforward. The New Zealander had to prove his pace in domestic championships, European junior single-seaters, Germany’s DTM and Japan’s Super Formula. When his first F1 opportunity finally arrived, it was not a long-planned debut but an unexpected call-up to replace the injured Daniel Ricciardo. The subsequent chapters of his career brought similar twists – waiting for a seat, returning to the cockpit, promotion to Red Bull and a swift move back to the sister team.

Lawson’s career is therefore the story of a driver who has repeatedly had to adapt to new surroundings and seize opportunities, often with little time to prepare.

Beginnings in New Zealand

Liam Lawson was born on 11 February 2002 in Hastings, New Zealand, and grew up in the Pukekohe area, which has strong motorsport links thanks in part to the well-known Pukekohe Park circuit.

He was interested in cars and racing from an early age, although his family had no professional motorsport background. Lawson’s father Jared had to learn alongside his son how karting worked, from setting up the machinery to preparing the driver himself.

Lawson has since spoken on several occasions about the significant role his family played in his career. Racing was expensive, and his parents even sold the family home to fund his continued progress. Lawson has also spoken publicly about the sacrifices his siblings and the wider family had to make for his motorsport dream.

Success did not come immediately. In karting, he initially ran at the back of the field. Gradually, however, he began achieving results that convinced his family his ambitions had genuine foundations.

He moved from karting into single-seaters and quickly made his mark there too.

First single-seater titles

One of his first major successes was winning the New Zealand Formula Ford championship in the 2016/2017 season. Lawson dominated the domestic series, winning 14 of its 15 races.

A move into international competition followed. He finished runner-up in Australian Formula 4 in 2017 and repeated that championship position a year later in the fiercely competitive German ADAC Formula 4 championship.

The 2018 season marked a major step forward. Driving for Van Amersfoort Racing at the age of 16, Lawson won three races and finished second overall. His rivals included drivers who would also go on to climb the single-seater ladder.

The 16-year-old New Zealander’s move to Europe was another important step. If he wanted to continue towards Formula 1, he had to establish himself on the European scene.

The race that opened the door to Red Bull

At the start of 2019, Lawson returned to New Zealand to compete in the Toyota Racing Series, now known as the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

That season became one of the most important stages of his entire career.

Lawson fought fellow New Zealander Marcus Armstrong for the title, with the championship going down to the finale. Lawson ultimately secured the 2019 Toyota Racing Series crown.

More importantly, his performances caught the attention of Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko. Lawson later singled out one race and an overtaking move at Highlands Motorsport Park, which he believed played a significant role in bringing him to Red Bull’s attention.

In February 2019, he joined the Red Bull Junior Team.

For the young driver from New Zealand, it was a fundamental change. He gained the backing of one of motorsport’s best-known junior programmes, while a clearer path towards Formula 1 opened up ahead of him.

Formula 3 and building his reputation

In 2019, Lawson entered FIA Formula 3 with MP Motorsport. As one of the youngest drivers on the grid, he took two podiums and finished his rookie season in 11th place.

He also contested part of the Euroformula Open season, taking several victories and finishing second in the championship despite not competing in the full campaign.

He returned to the Toyota Racing Series at the start of 2020. This time he was unable to defend his title and finished the season in second place.

A significant step forward in performance came in his second FIA Formula 3 season, however. After moving to Hitech Grand Prix, he took three victories in 2020 and finished fifth overall.

Those results earned him promotion to the final major junior step before Formula 1 – FIA Formula 2.

Formula 2 alongside a DTM title challenge

The 2021 season was an unusual one in Lawson’s career, as he competed in two very different categories at the same time.

In Formula 2, he stayed with Hitech Grand Prix and immediately showed his pace. He won a sprint race on his very first race weekend in Bahrain, eventually finishing his rookie season in eighth place.

Alongside his single-seater commitments, he also contested a full DTM season.

In the long-established German championship, he drove a Ferrari 488 GT3 for AF Corse. For a driver brought up predominantly in single-seaters, it was an entirely different technical challenge, yet Lawson emerged as one of the leading title contenders.

He won three races and arrived at the final round at the Norisring leading the championship. A dramatic finale swung the title away from him, however, and he finished the season as runner-up.

Even without the title, his DTM campaign became one of the clearest demonstrations of his ability to adapt quickly to a different racing car.

Final year in Formula 2

In 2022, Lawson moved to Carlin in F2.

He won four races during the season and was a regular podium finisher. He finished third in the final standings behind champion Felipe Drugovich and Théo Pourchaire.

At the same time, his role within the Red Bull set-up was changing. He was no longer simply a junior driver – he was getting opportunities in Formula 1 machinery and became reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri.

By the end of 2022, the question was no longer whether he could establish himself at a high level in junior racing. It was when he would get a genuine opportunity in Formula 1.

The Japanese test: Super Formula

When no Formula 1 seat became available for Lawson for the 2023 season, Red Bull chose an unconventional route.

It sent him to Japan.

Lawson joined Team Mugen in Super Formula, one of the fastest single-seater series in the world. He faced a new car, new circuits, different tyres and an entirely different motorsport environment.

The results were immediate.

He won on his very first start at Fuji Speedway, becoming the first driver in the modern Super Formula era to win on debut. He added another two victories during the season and fought for the title until the final round.

He ultimately finished second in the championship, just eight points behind Ritomo Miyata.

The season in Japan once again underlined one of the defining features of Lawson’s career – his ability to become competitive soon after moving into an entirely new environment.

But during that same year, the opportunity he had been waiting for since childhood arrived.

An unexpected Formula 1 debut

During the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix weekend, Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand in a practice crash. AlphaTauri needed a replacement, and reserve driver Liam Lawson received the phone call that changed his career.

With no preparation, he tackled his debut weekend in challenging conditions at Zandvoort and finished the race in 13th place.

Monza, Singapore, Suzuka and Qatar followed.

His standout result came in Singapore. Lawson reached Q3 and finished ninth in the race, scoring his first two Formula 1 points.

After five grands prix, the recovered Ricciardo returned to the cockpit and Lawson resumed his reserve role.

Despite his successful stand-in spell, he did not secure a permanent seat for the 2024 season.

A year of waiting and a second opportunity

For most of the 2024 season, Lawson did not race. He worked as reserve driver for Red Bull and its sister team, completed tests and waited for another opportunity.

It arrived ahead of the final six rounds of the season.

RB decided to part ways with Daniel Ricciardo, and Lawson took his seat from the United States Grand Prix.

This time, it was no short-term stand-in role for an injured driver. Red Bull had six grands prix in which to assess Lawson’s performances before deciding on its line-up for the following year.

The New Zealander scored points, and his brief spell ultimately proved enough to earn him a major career promotion.

Promotion to Red Bull Racing

After the 2024 season, Red Bull decided to part ways with Sergio Pérez. It chose Lawson to fill the vacant seat alongside multiple world champion Max Verstappen.

At the start of 2025, the New Zealander therefore found himself at the senior Red Bull Racing team.

His first spell with the team was extremely short, however.

After difficult opening rounds in Australia and China, Red Bull decided to swap its drivers. Lawson returned to Racing Bulls from the Japanese Grand Prix, with Yuki Tsunoda taking his place alongside Verstappen.

For a driver who had waited several years for a full-time Formula 1 opportunity, it was another abrupt change. After returning to Racing Bulls, however, he gradually began to deliver better results and finished in the points on several occasions during the season. His performances secured his place at the team for the following campaign.

In the 2026 season, he was also given another temporary opportunity at Red Bull Racing, standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar. After three grands prix, he returned to his permanent seat at Racing Bulls.

Lawson’s Formula 1 journey therefore remains an unusual one. In a relatively short career, he has already switched several times between reserve and race driver roles, repeatedly moving between the sister team and the senior Red Bull Racing outfit.

Life outside Formula 1

Despite his life as a professional racing driver, Lawson remains closely connected to New Zealand.

One of his main hobbies outside Formula 1 is riding dirt bikes. He was drawn to dirt biking as a child and later built a small track of his own in New Zealand. He rides both for enjoyment and as a way of staying active away from race weekends.

His relationship with motorsport extends well beyond professional racing. Lawson has repeatedly spoken about his love of cars and racing from a very young age. His favourite films include the animated film Cars, which he associates with his childhood fascination with cars.

In interviews, he also regularly emphasises the importance of his family. Their financial and personal support enabled a boy from New Zealand to progress through karting and domestic single-seaters to Europe and eventually Formula 1.

A driver shaped by different disciplines

Lawson’s motorsport career is also notable for its variety.

On his way to Formula 1, he raced in conventional junior single-seaters, a high-performance GT car in DTM and one of the fastest single-seater championships outside F1. He won races in each of those disciplines.

He became Toyota Racing Series champion, finished runner-up in German Formula 4 and Euroformula Open, won races in FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2, fought for the DTM title and finished second in his only year in Super Formula.

That route sets him apart from many drivers who progress almost exclusively through the European Formula 4 – Formula 3 – Formula 2 ladder.

Lawson had to prove his pace in different cars, countries and racing cultures.

From New Zealand to the elite

Despite its size, New Zealand has a rich motorsport tradition. Names such as Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Chris Amon, Brendon Hartley, Scott Dixon and Shane van Gisbergen have built successful careers across different disciplines of international motorsport.

Liam Lawson has joined the drivers who have carried that tradition into modern Formula 1.

His journey was not built around one dominant junior championship campaign or an immediate move into F1. It was a series of opportunities, moves and tests – from domestic circuits in New Zealand through German Formula 4, FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 to DTM, Japan’s Super Formula and finally Formula 1.

His family’s sacrifices allowed him to get started. His junior results earned him a place in Red Bull’s programme. His performances in different types of car moulded him into a versatile driver. And when an unexpected Formula 1 opportunity arrived in 2023, he turned it into the start of another chapter in his career.

That ability to adapt to new circumstances has become one of the central themes of Lawson’s story – from a young racer in Pukekohe to a driver on the Formula 1 grid.