Liam Lawson’s journey to the cusp of Formula 1 was built not just on talent but on the unwavering dedication and sacrifice of his family. His father, Jared, worked at a freight company and had a passing interest in motorsports, occasionally tuning into Supercars or Formula One races with the engine roars echoing through their home.
Though not a racing fanatic himself, Jared’s casual viewings lit a spark in young Liam—already obsessed with cars like many Kiwi kids—and sent him down a path that would quickly grow serious.
Liam’s passion for karting began at six years old. During his first year, he finished dead last in every race. Equipment and funding were constant challenges, and he was convinced the issue was his underpowered kart.
After over a year of complaints, his dad finally gave in, investing in two top-tier engines. That decision proved pivotal: Liam immediately qualified on pole at a major race, and the tide turned.
From that weekend, racing stopped being just a hobby—it became a family mission. The Lawsons sold their house in Clarks Beach to fund their son’s dream, a sacrifice so significant they still haven’t bought another home as they continue to support Liam.
Beyond his parents, a network of supporters rallied around him. Sponsors and mentors worked tirelessly to keep his racing dreams alive, with one man, Matthew Kinsman even dedicating himself full-time to pitching Liam to companies. But at the heart of it all were his parents and siblings—the people who believed in him from the very start.
“I owe so much to my parents and siblings and the people around me,” Lawson told GQ Magazine.
“So many good people sacrificed so much—people who wanted to see a New Zealander driving in F1. I’m just lucky they picked me.”
Early Beginnings and Meteoric Rise
In 2015, after karting and winning the SpeedSport Scholarship programme, New Zealand’s most successful young driver development programme, he competed in Formula First, securing a victory on his debut. Lawson was just 13 years old. He finished 6th in the championship and won the Rookie of the Year title.
In 2016, his dominance continued in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, where he won on debut and achieved 15 pole positions, 15 fastest laps, and 14 wins out of 15 races, becoming the youngest Formula Ford champion globally.
In 2017, Lawson crossed the Tasman to take on a new challenge in Australian motorsport. With the minimum age for Formula 4 set at 15, he moved just two months after his birthday—and fresh off clinching the New Zealand Formula Ford title.
Wasting no time, Lawson extended his habit of winning on debut, mastering wet conditions to claim victory in his very first Australian F4 race. Across the 21 races in the Australian F4 Championship, Lawson claimed 13 podium finishes, including five wins.
In 2018, Lawson took his racing ambitions to Europe, stepping into what’s widely regarded as the most competitive Formula 4 championship—Germany’s ADAC F4. He made an immediate impact, qualifying fourth and landing on the podium in his first race.
Building momentum, Lawson added two more podiums before claiming his maiden victory at Lausitzring. He followed it up with another win at Austria’s Red Bull Ring and three more podium finishes in the final eight races.
His performance earned him second overall in the championship and the title of Top Rookie. By season’s end, Lawson had notched up five wins and 13 podiums from 20 races—an impressive statement in his first full European campaign.
In 2019, Red Bull entered Lawson in the Euroformula Open and the inaugural FIA Formula 3 Championship. Lawson juggled both campaigns while racing for Team Motopark alongside fellow Red Bull Junior Yuki Tsunoda, missing two EFO rounds due to calendar clashes.
Despite the demanding schedule, he won on debut at Paul Ricard. He later triumphed in the wet at Barcelona after starting from eighth. In the Monza finale, Lawson edged out Tsunoda by 0.392 seconds in a thrilling two-lap shootout, securing second place in the championship by just three points.
Also in 2019, Lawson made his Toyota Racing Series debut with M2 Competition, maintaining his perfect record of winning on debut in every single-seater he’s driven.
He secured victory at Highlands with an incredible overtake on Ferrari Academy driver Marcus Armstrong, catching the attention of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who offered him a Junior contract. By the end of the series, Lawson had four F1 Junior offers.
Lawson’s wins at Highlands and a 5th-place finish in the reverse grid race put him in the series lead. By season’s end, he clinched the TRS Championship, including a victory in the New Zealand Grand Prix, which he won after Armstrong was penalized for forcing him off track.
On his 17th birthday, Lawson signed with the Red Bull Junior programme.
In 2020, Lawson returned to the Toyota Racing Series as the defending champion with the M2 Competition team. He once again won on debut in the new-generation Tatuus FT-60 car.
Lawson won two races at Highlands Motorsport Park and another at Teretonga. His standout moment came at Pukekohe, where he won the prestigious New Zealand Motor Cup—an honour previously claimed by legends like Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, and Jackie Stewart.
Despite securing the most wins (5) and podiums (10) across 15 races, Lawson narrowly missed out on back-to-back titles, finishing second in the championship. A rare engine failure at Hampton Downs proved costly, with the final margin just four points.
Also in 2020, Lawson returned to FIA Formula 3, this time with Hitech GP. He won the opening race at the Red Bull Ring. He remained a strong contender despite a condensed, COVID-affected calendar. A dramatic clash at Spielberg and back-to-back engine failures in Budapest were setbacks. Still, Lawson bounced back with a dominant win at Silverstone and podiums at Silverstone and Barcelona, placing him third in the standings mid-season.
The final rounds brought mixed results—clutch issues at Spa and a time penalty at Monza cost him key points, but he closed the season in style at Mugello. Starting from reverse grid pole, Lawson led every lap and stormed to victory with the second-largest dry-weather margin of the season. Overall, Lawson scored three podiums and three race wins.
At the end of 2020, while back in New Zealand for the summer break, Lawson was invited to team up with amateur driver Scott O’Donnell in an Audi R8 for the New Zealand Endurance Championship at Highlands Motorsport Park.
In his saloon car debut, Lawson impressed in testing by going over a second under the lap record. Unfortunately, in qualifying, he hit a tyre bundle that was moved closer to the track before the session, tearing off the car’s front wheel. The team had the car repaired in time, but without setting a time in qualifying, he had to start from the pitlane.
Despite the setback, Lawson charged through the 33-car field in the 3-hour race to finish an impressive 3rd.
In 2021, Lawson again competed in two championship series, but this time in two distinct types of cars. His primary focus was the FIA F2 Championship, where he had graduated with the Hitech GP team from F3 to pilot the Red Bull-Rodin Cars #7.
Lawson continued his debut winning streak after winning the F2 opening race in Bahrain and scored another podium in the feature race. His double podium finish preserved his remarkable record of winning on debut in all but one of the eight different single-seaters he has raced in during his five-year career.
Lawson battled through a challenging conclusion to the season, finishing 9th in the standings. A string of mechanical failures and run-ins with other drivers hindered his progress. Still, he overcame adversity to secure his position.
In addition to his F2 campaign, Lawson raced a Red Bull-supported Ferrari 488 GT3 in the DTM Championship. He won on debut in Monza before finishing the season as the runner-up champion. Seven podiums, four pole positions, and three race wins out of the 16-race season including back-to-back race wins at the Red Bull Ring.
In 2022, Lawson began his second season of Formula 2 and switched from Hitech GP to Carlin. He kicked off the campaign with a strong performance, securing two podiums in the opening races at Bahrain.
Lawson maintained his strong form in Formula 2, securing six podiums and adding two more race victories, including impressive wins from 9th on the grid. In the 14 feature races, he scored points in 8 despite suffering 3 DNFs due to mechanical failures. His consistency continued to shine in the 14 sprint races, where he scored points in 11 of them.
Beyond his F2 commitments, Lawson also dedicated his time to simulator work for the Red Bull F1 team and was appointed Test and Reserve driver for the AlphaTauri F1 team.
In 2023, Lawson competed in the Super Formula Championship with Mugen Motorsports, delivering an impressive rookie campaign that saw him finish as runner-up to Ritomo Miyata. He claimed three race victories—one at Autopolis and two at Fuji Speedway—alongside a podium at Suzuka. Demonstrating remarkable consistency, Lawson finished inside the top five in every race except one.
Beginning in August 2023, Lawson made his Formula 1 debut with AlphaTauri. He stepped in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo on alternating race weekends, juggling F1 and Super Formula.
Lawson impressed early, scoring his first F1 points with a strong performance in Singapore. Once Ricciardo returned to the grid, Lawson resumed his reserve driver role for AlphaTauri and Red Bull Racing.
During the 2024 F1 off-season, Lawson returned home to New Zealand and returned to karting, entering the 2024 NZ Karting Grand Prix following his City of Sails victory in Auckland the previous year. Starting from the second row, Lawson was locked in a tight battle for fourth place when contact forced him off track, ultimately leading to an early retirement from the race with 18 laps remaining.
In 2024, Lawson was announced to replace Ricciardo and secured a full-time Formula 1 seat with the re-branded Racing Bulls team in 2024 from the United States Grand Prix onwards.
Lawson chose not to continue in Super Formula in 2024, choosing to focus on his dream of becoming a successful Formula 1 driver.
As 2024 came to a close, Red Bull made headlines by announcing Lawson as the replacement for Sergio Perez. The news sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 community, with many surprised by the choice—given Lawson’s limited experience in the sport compared to other, more established contenders.
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner explained the decision to back Lawson over fellow Red Bull Junior Team driver Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls. Despite Lawson’s limited experience in Formula 1 compared to Tsunoda, Horner highlighted his exceptional potential, mental resilience, and proven ability to deliver under pressure—qualities evident throughout his successful racing career.
Horner praised Lawson’s aggressive, results-driven approach, describing him as a “real racer” who consistently impressed during his time with Racing Bulls.
In 2025, despite immense pressure, Lawson displayed a commendable performance with Red Bull. However, after two races, he was reassigned to Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s junior team, in favour of Yuki Tsunoda.
Horner acknowledged that they had perhaps expected too much too soon from the young Kiwi.
Undeterred, Lawson returned to Racing Bulls with renewed vigour and paired with teammate Isack Hadjar. At the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he qualified 12th, marking his best starting position of the season, and finished the race in the same position, matching his top result for the year. His resilience and ability to bounce back underscore his mental fortitude and commitment to growth.
The Case for a Permanent Seat
Liam Lawson has earned his place in Formula 1 not through hype but through sheer grit, consistency, and an unparalleled ability to deliver under pressure. His family’s sacrifices, including selling their home to support his racing dreams, highlight the depth of commitment behind his ascent.
From his earliest days dominating New Zealand’s karting and junior single-seater scene to winning on debut in nearly every category he’s touched—including F2, DTM, and Super Formula—Lawson has built a résumé that rivals any driver of his generation.
His adaptability across vastly different machinery, coupled with his relentless drive to improve, sets him apart in a sport where margins are razor-thin. Even when thrust unexpectedly into Formula 1, he scored points under high-stakes circumstances and stood tall against seasoned competitors. With a career forged on merit, resilience, and fearless racing instincts, Liam Lawson is not just ready for F1—he belongs in it.
Lawson’s story is one of talent meeting opportunity, perseverance overcoming challenges, and dreams turning into reality. His journey serves as an inspiration and a reminder of what is possible with unwavering dedication.
Header Image: Geoff Ridder / liamlawson30.com / Red Bull Content Pool
