New Zealand driver who earned his Red Bull seat the hard way, through years as a reserve and two impressive substitute stints. Got the call to partner Verstappen for 2025, and found out very quickly that F1 at that level leaves no margin for error.
9 TH PLACE
| FIELD | VALUE |
|---|---|
| TEAM | Racing Bulls |
| COUNTRY | New Zealand |
| PODIUMS | 0 |
| CAREER POINTS | 103 |
| GRANDS PRIX ENTERED | 49 |
| WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS | 0 |
| POLE POSITIONS | 0 |
| HIGHEST RACE FINISH | 5 (x2) |
| HIGHEST GRID POSITION | 3 (x1) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 11/02/2002 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hastings, New Zealand |
Liam Lawson is a New Zealand racing driver born on 11 February 2002 in Hastings, New Zealand. From an early age he showed great talent in karting, winning multiple national championships before making the jump to single-seater categories. In 2019, he joined Red Bull's young driver programme, allowing him to compete in various development categories in Europe. He took part in Euroformula Open and the Toyota Racing Series, where he achieved outstanding performances and consolidated his reputation as a promising driver.
In 2021, he competed in Formula 2 with Hitech Grand Prix, taking several victories and podiums. He also took part in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship), where he came close to winning the title in his debut season. In 2022, he continued in Formula 2 with Carlin, putting in strong performances and gathering key experience for his future in Formula 1. In 2023, Lawson became a reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri. His big break came when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri following an injury at the Dutch Grand Prix.
During his time in F1, Lawson surprised with his performance, outperforming teammate Yuki Tsunoda on several occasions and scoring his first points in the category. Despite his good results, Red Bull decided to keep Ricciardo and Tsunoda as regular drivers for 2024, leaving Lawson as a reserve driver. His performance in F1 and in other categories has raised expectations about his future, with many considering him a strong candidate for a regular seat in the coming seasons.
Liam Lawson is a driver who began his motorsport career in karting, where he won multiple national championships before making the jump to single-seaters. In 2017, he made his debut in Australian Formula 4, finishing runner-up in his first season. The following year, he competed in the German ADAC Formula 4 with Van Amersfoort Racing, where he also finished runner-up, standing out as one of the young promises of motorsport.
In 2019, he joined Red Bull's young driver programme and competed in Euroformula Open, the FIA Formula 3 Championship and the Toyota Racing Series, winning the latter with impressive performance. In 2020, he participated in FIA Formula 3 with Hitech Grand Prix, achieving a victory and some podiums, although without challenging for the championship. His talent allowed him to move up to Formula 2 in 2021, where he also raced for Hitech, taking two wins and consolidating his reputation.
That same year, he made his debut in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) with Red Bull AF Corse, where he came close to winning the title in his debut season, losing it in the final race due to a controversial decision. In 2022, Lawson raced in Formula 2 with Carlin, finishing third in the championship with four wins and demonstrating his ability to adapt and speed.
In 2023, he was named reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri in Formula 1. His big break came when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri following an injury at the Dutch Grand Prix. During his brief involvement in F1, Lawson impressed with his performance, outperforming teammate Yuki Tsunoda in several races and scoring his first points at the Singapore Grand Prix.
2023
Lawson was named reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. His F1 opportunity came when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri following an injury sustained at the Dutch Grand Prix. He made his Formula 1 debut at Zandvoort with no previous experience in official race sessions. In his third race, the Singapore Grand Prix, he managed to score his first points by finishing ninth. He showed a solid performance, beating teammate Yuki Tsunoda on several occasions. He raced a total of five Grands Prix before Ricciardo returned to the seat.
2024
Lawson did not start the season with a race seat but returned mid-year when Racing Bulls dropped Daniel Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix. He took over for the final six rounds of the season, scoring four points and impressing enough to earn a promotion to Red Bull Racing for 2025.
2025
Two races. That's all Red Bull gave him. He retired in Australia after starting 18th, qualified last in China, and Helmut Marko had seen enough. The demotion back to Racing Bulls was brutal and public, and by his own admission it hit him harder than he let on. Points didn't come until Monaco, eight rounds into the year. But then something shifted. Results in Azerbaijan, the United States and Brazil followed, including a fifth place in Baku that was his best of the season. He finished 15th in the standings with 20 points, ahead of Tsunoda, the driver Red Bull had brought in to replace him. Enough to keep his seat at Racing Bulls for 2026. Not the year anyone imagined, but he survived it.
2026
A steady season at Racing Bulls yielded points finishes in Monaco, Barcelona, Austria, Great Britain and Hungary. When Isack Hadjar fractured his wrist over the summer break, Red Bull called Lawson back up to the senior team for the final three rounds before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Yuki Tsunoda stepping into his Racing Bulls seat for the duration. Lawson brought the Red Bull home seventh at the Netherlands, endured a frustrating pit-lane-start weekend at Monza that ended fourteenth after front wing damage, and then delivered his best result of the stint — sixth, and a new personal points record — at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Through fourteen rounds, split between both Red Bull-family cars, he sits ninth in the championship with 59 points, comfortably his best season in Formula 1.
| YEAR | POS. | TEAM | CHASIS | ENGINE | TYRES | VIC. | POLE | V.R. | POINTS | GPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 |  RACING BULLS |
RB26 |  FORD |
 PIRELLI |
0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 11 |
| 2026 | - |  RED BULL |
RB22 | FORD |
PIRELLI |
0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| 2025 | - | RED BULL |
RB21 |  HONDA |
PIRELLI |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2025 | 15 | RACING BULLS |
VCARB 02 | HONDA |
PIRELLI |
0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 22 |
| 2024 | 21 | RACING BULLS |
VCARB 01 | HONDA |
PIRELLI |
0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 2023 | 20 |  ALPHATAURI |
AT04 | HONDA |
PIRELLI |
0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| RACE | DATE | TEAM | ENGINE | POS | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AUSTRALIA |
08 MAR | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
13 | 0 |
 CHINA |
15 MAR | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
7 | 8 |
 JAPAN |
29 MAR | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
9 | 2 |
 MIAMI |
03 MAY | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
DNF | 0 |
 CANADA |
24 MAY | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
7 | 6 |
 MONACO |
07 JUN | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
6 | 8 |
 BARCELONA-CATALUNYA |
14 JUN | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
8 | 4 |
 AUSTRIA |
28 JUN | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
9 | 2 |
 GREAT BRITAIN |
05 JUL | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
6 | 9 |
 BELGIUM |
19 JUL | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
12 | 0 |
 HUNGARY |
26 JUL | RACING BULLS |
RED BULL FORD |
8 | 4 |
 NETHERLANDS |
23 AUG | RED BULL RACING |
RED BULL FORD |
7 | 6 |
 ITALY |
06 SEP | RED BULL RACING |
RED BULL FORD |
14 | 0 |
| SPAIN |
13 SEP | RED BULL RACING |
RED BULL FORD |
6 | 8 |
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