Red Bull has officially promoted Liam Lawson to the senior team for the 2025 Formula 1 season, replacing Sergio Perez after a turbulent campaign. The move marks a bold shift for Red Bull, as the New Zealand rookie will now line up alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen—arguably the most daunting teammate challenge in F1 history.
🚨 The Big Question: Can Lawson survive the Red Bull pressure cooker, or will he become the latest casualty in the second-seat curse?
Red Bull’s Gamble on an Unproven Talent
Lawson’s promotion comes despite making fewer than a dozen F1 starts, making him the least experienced driver ever to race for Red Bull. He was chosen over Yuki Tsunoda, highlighting the team’s belief in his raw talent and mental resilience.
🔥 Why Lawson?
- Speed & Potential: Showed flashes of brilliance during his limited Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri) stint.
- Mental Strength: Red Bull sees determination & composure, key traits missing in previous second-seat drivers.
- Perez’s Collapse: Perez’s disastrous second half of 2024 forced Red Bull to rethink their long-term strategy.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists they’re easing Lawson into the role, avoiding immediate pressure on the 22-year-old.
“We’ve tried very hard not to put pressure on him so far,” Horner said at the Autosport Awards.
“We’re just trying to ease him in quite gently.”
But no driver escapes pressure at Red Bull, especially when they’re expected to challenge Verstappen.
Can Lawson Survive the Red Bull Second-Seat Curse?
Ever since Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull in 2018, the second seat has been a revolving door of failures:
❌ Pierre Gasly (2019): Lasted just 12 races before being demoted back to Toro Rosso.
❌ Alex Albon (2019-2020): Showed promise but couldn’t handle the pressure—dropped after 1.5 seasons.
❌ Sergio Perez (2021-2024): Won races but collapsed in 2024, scoring just 21 points in the last 10 rounds.
Even with years of F1 experience, Perez struggled to keep up with Verstappen. Now, a rookie is stepping into the lion’s den.
📏 Red Bull’s Benchmark: Advisor Helmut Marko has demanded Lawson be within three-tenths of Verstappen—a near-impossible task for most drivers.
“Being Max Verstappen’s teammate is probably the hardest job in Formula 1,” Horner admitted.
“But in Liam, I think we have got a driver who is incredibly talented.”
Lawson’s Take – “I Want to Learn From the Best”
Unlike previous Red Bull second drivers, Lawson isn’t shying away from the challenge.
“I think it would be the biggest challenge to go up against Max,” he said.
“In a way, it’s the best seat on the grid to be in. You get to learn directly off the best guy.”
📊 Key Advantage: Access to Verstappen’s data every session – a goldmine for development.
🏆 Mindset: Lawson isn’t focused on beating Verstappen immediately but rather learning from him—a key difference from past teammates.
“To have that data is what’s going to make me better.”
But will Red Bull’s notoriously cutthroat management give him time to develop, or will one bad season send him packing?
What’s Next for Red Bull & Lawson?
🔹 Pre-Season Testing (Feb 2025): Lawson’s first chance to prove he can handle Red Bull machinery.
🔹 Red Bull’s 2025 Title Bid: After losing the Constructors’ Championship to Mercedes & Ferrari, Red Bull needs Lawson to deliver immediately.
🔹 The Clock is Ticking: If he struggles early, expect talks of replacements (Ricciardo, Tsunoda, or even a shock outside move) to emerge quickly.
🚨 Will Liam Lawson break the Red Bull second-seat curse, or is he next in line to be chewed up and spat out?
The F1 world is watching.
