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Red Bull’s Natural Change: The Reasoning Behind Liam Lawson’s New F1 Race Engineer Appointment

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
February 20, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Red Bull’s Natural Change: The Reasoning Behind Liam Lawson’s New F1 Race Engineer Appointment

Formula One F1 - F1 75 Live Season Launch - The O2, London, Britain - February 18, 2025 Red Bull's Liam Lawson during the launch REUTERS/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY

In a recent announcement, Red Bull’s Christian Horner described the decision to switch Liam Lawson’s race engineer from Sergio Perez’s longstanding partner, Hugh Bird, to Richard Wood as a “natural change”. This move comes after Lawson was promoted to a Red Bull seat next to Max Verstappen, following Perez’s less than stellar performance which culminated in his dismissal after the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Bird, whose voice was a constant presence in Perez’s ear throughout his four seasons with the Austrian team, will now be stepping back from this role. In his stead, Richard Wood, a former Red Bull Performance Engineer, will be taking the helm. Wood is no stranger to the position, having previously filled in for Bird during his paternity leave at last season’s Dutch Grand Prix.

This decision has not been without controversy. Some of Perez’s supporters pinned the blame for his struggles on Bird, citing his unclear communication as a contributing factor. Perez, however, has stood by his race engineer, with Horner insisting that this controversy had no influence on Bird’s reassignment.

Horner explained that Bird is now transitioning to a factory-based role, where his extensive trackside knowledge can be put to good use. This change will afford Bird more time at home, while still enabling him to play a vital role in Red Bull’s vehicle dynamics department.

Horner stated, “Hugh is an incredibly capable engineer, and this move is a win-win situation. It’s a natural evolution of the team that allows Hugh to better utilize his skills within the factory, while also giving Wood the opportunity to step up and engineer Liam.”

Lawson’s promotion to the senior Red Bull team is significant, given his limited experience of less than a dozen race starts. However, Horner believes in Lawson’s mental resilience and his ability to provide valuable support to Verstappen.

As Horner explained, “The goal for Liam is clear – provide as much support as possible. There’s no expectation for him to outperform a four-time World Champion, but if it happens, fantastic. One of the attributes that stood out about Lawson is his mental strength and resilience, which will be critical as being Max’s teammate is arguably the toughest seat in Formula 1.”

Horner emphasized that Red Bull will do their best to nurture and protect Lawson, acknowledging that the task ahead is enormous. Yet, he expressed confidence in Lawson’s capability, talent, and mental strength to handle the pressure.

Lawson’s journey at Red Bull in 2025, partnered with Verstappen, is undoubtedly something to watch out for. As Red Bull embarks on this new chapter, the team’s strategic decisions, as well as Lawson’s performance, will be under intense scrutiny.

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