Lawson feels supported by Verstappen: 'He was always kind and helpful'
Bespite only having 11 Grands Prix of experience, Liam Lawson is pulling no punches as he prepares to race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2025. The New Zealander has shown great promise with his performances, and as a result of Sergio Perez leaving the Austrian team, the 22-year-old has been selected as the new member of Red Bull Racing, with his goal clearly being "winning a world championship."
Lawson wants to win constructors' title with Verstappen
"Obviously, as Formula One drivers, we all have one goal that we share, and that's winning a world championship. That is my goal," Lawson begins on Red Bull's Talking Bull podcast. "That's been my goal since I was a kid and wanted to be a Formula One driver, and obviously now I'm in a great position. It's definitely not what I expect coming in. I don't expect to come in and go straight away and win a world championship."
"I know that the team's goal is obviously the constructors, and that's what I'm here to do. I'm here to help achieve that. But obviously, personally, for me, it's trying to be in a competitive position as quickly as possible. Obviously, I've got the best guy as my teammate to learn from," he added about Verstappen.
Lawson has not yet spoken to Verstappen
Lawson says he has not yet spoken to his brand-new teammate. "Not yet. Honestly, not yet. I might send him a message, but obviously, this has all just happened," he explains.
The 22-year-old New Zealander has a good relationship with the Dutchman, by whom he has always felt supported. "Even when I was in super formula and other categories, I think Max is somebody that just loves motorsport and watches a lot of it. He's somebody that has always been kind and supportive when I came in last year as a reserve last year," Lawson continued.
"When I was obviously feeling a lot of pressure in Zandvoort, he was somebody that was really good to talk to. So yeah, it's cool to go up against him and have him as a teammate. There's nobody better to learn from. So for me, it's coming in, trying to be competitive as quickly as possible," said the brand-new Red Bull driver.
This article was created in collaboration with Nicole Mulder
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