After shining last year while filling in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson returns to the RB F1 seat for the upcoming Grand Prix in Austin, this time as Ricciardo’s permanent replacement.
The young RB F1 driver arrives in Texas with a clear goal: to secure a full-time seat for 2025. Whether with RB F1 or, who knows, maybe even with Red Bull…
His priority? Scoring points. That’s the target set for him by Red Bull and Helmut Marko.
“Basically, they expect me to do at least as well as Yuki. I’d say that’s the team’s objective,” Lawson explained before Austin.
“They want me to be on his level and perform. They want points.”
“Obviously, the team is fighting for sixth place in the Constructors’ standings, and that’s pretty important for VCARB, so scoring points is the goal.”
“If we score points, then I think we’re doing a good job. Honestly, that’s the goal set. But we’re always being evaluated. It’s been that way since I joined Red Bull at 16, performance is always under scrutiny. So, it’s no different from how it’s always been.”
Lawson is focused on RB F1, though rumors already suggest he could replace Perez at Red Bull next year, with Perez struggling this season.
But Lawson insists: he’s thinking only about Faenza, not Milton Keynes! It’s clearly diplomatic language, particularly to avoid offending Perez’s camp.
“It’s not on my mind,” he assured when asked about a seat at Red Bull.
“But I’m obviously aware that being in Red Bull Racing’s second team, my future, if I do a good job, will be with them.”
“My goal is to move to Red Bull Racing in the future, and I know that, on their side, they’re also looking to build for the future, for when either Max or Checo [Perez] leaves one day.”
“So they always need drivers ready for that. I’m aware that if I do well, that’s where my future lies.”
“When it might happen isn’t something I really think about, because I know it will depend entirely on my performance in my current seat.”
The infamous 6 a.m. calls from Dr. Marko…
With only six races to prove his worth, the pressure is immense for the New Zealander. But Lawson, raised in the tough Marko school, says he’s ready to rise to the challenge.
‘Perform or perish’: Lawson is well acquainted with Red Bull’s philosophy.
“The hardest part is when you’re very young.”
“For me, when I was 16 and 17, my first year with Red Bull, it was a step up. Before, I was just with my close family from New Zealand who had helped me get to where I was. And then I had Red Bull Racing and Dr. Marko calling me and putting pressure on me.”
“That’s what I really struggled with.”
Asked about Marko’s methods, Lawson doesn’t hide that they sting!
“It’s usually a call at 6 a.m. or something like that! And he says, ‘You need to perform better. Next weekend, if you don’t do better, you’ll be in trouble.’”
“You know you basically have to win races. It’s quite common: if you haven’t had a good race, he’ll tell you, ‘If this keeps up, you might not have a future with this team.’”
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If Lawson rises to the challenge, will he replace Pérez? If Lawson rises to the challenge, will he replace Pérez?
