F1 News
Lawson on his family helping his F1 journey: "My parents don't own a house"
After many months of rumours surrounding Red Bull Racing and their second seat, they finally made their decision for the 2025 season. Sergio Perez was replaced after a disastrous season, and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson was the man to take the seat next to Max Verstappen. It's been an unorthodox journey in Formula 1 for the New Zealander, but it's one he would not change.
The 22-year-old has only raced in 11 Grands Prix in his time in F1. In 2023, he came in as a replacement for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, racing in five Grands Prix while the Austelain recovered from the hand injury he sustained at the Dutch Grand Prix. Lawson's speed and talent were on show, highlighted by his P9 at the Singapore Grand Prix, his third race behind the wheel of an F1 car.
In 2024, he was then given his first official seat in F1, this time replacing Ricciardo for good after the Singapore Grand Prix. With the final six races of the season remaining, he once again showed what he can do in the premier class of motorsport, finding his way into the points in his first race at the United States Grand Prix. These performances were enough for Christian Horner and Red Bull to offer the seat to him over teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who will stay at VCARB for 2025.
Lawson thankful for his parents "sacrificing everything" for his F1 journey
But the 22-year-old knows that none of this would have been possible if it were not thanks to the support he had from his whole family, especially from his parents. Speaking to Sky Sports the day after he was announced as Red Bull's driver for 2025, he spoke about how they helped him in his karting years: "The first 12 months of go-karts, I finished solidly last every single time. I was just driving by myself in the back of the field, trying to convince my dad to get a better engine because I was convinced that it was bad, and finally, he did. We put it on for this qualifying session at this big event, and straight away, we were at the front, and that was the moment that karting became serious.
"For my parents, they sacrificed everything for me as a kid, so to race even just go-karts, to compete at the front in New Zealand, it's still extremely expensive. My parents don't own a house right now because of me growing up karting and leaving home. And to my siblings, my whole family has given up a lot for me to do this," continued a grateful Lawson.
The New Zealander also had a funny story as to how his sister was also able to help in his F1 journey, all thanks to lending her brother her old car: "It was a really old beat-up polo, and learning how to drive a manual and doing practice starts. It was my sister's car, and I was spinning up the wheels, and I think I fried the clutch as well from memory!
"But, although I don't come from a family with a lot of money, I was lucky that the mentality from my parents was,’ If you believe in something, you can do it.’ And they kept that belief in me all the way through until I was old enough to realise what was going on," concluded the 22-year-old.
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