Liam Lawson braces for "Very, Very Tough" start in Red Bull F1 due to track challenges

Liam Lawson is set to make his highly anticipated full-season debut in Formula 1, stepping into a Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen. However, the young Kiwi is under no illusions about the challenges ahead. With only 11 grand prix starts under his belt, all of which came in the latter half of 2023 and 2024, Lawson acknowledges that adapting to the demands of a full F1 calendar will be a daunting task.

Liam Lawson was officially named as Sergio Perez’s replacement in December, following a disappointing season for the Mexican driver. Despite Red Bull’s dominant performance last year, the 22-year-old driver is not expecting immediate success, particularly given his lack of experience on several circuits that feature early in the 2025 calendar.
The upcoming season will introduce Lawson to a host of unfamiliar tracks, adding an extra layer of difficulty to his transition into one of F1’s most competitive seats. “Going into a year like this, especially the start of the season, I’m going to a lot of tracks I haven’t done before,” he admitted. “I think the start of the year is going to be the hardest as well. Going to a bunch of tracks I haven’t done before starting the season, it’s going to be very, very tough.”

While the Red Bull RB21 is expected to be a front-running car, Lawson is not setting unrealistic expectations for himself. His early-season schedule includes challenging circuits like Melbourne, Shanghai, Miami, and Montreal—places he has either never raced on or only experienced in junior categories. Nonetheless, he remains eager to embrace the challenge, stating, “I’m very excited for Melbourne and I’m very excited for the start of the year.”
Despite the uphill battle, Lawson is looking forward to proving himself at the highest level. “There’s a lot of cool tracks that I haven’t done that I think I will enjoy, like Melbourne. China looks like a cool track, Canada is somewhere I’ve always wanted to drive.”
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With a new team, heightened expectations, and an uncharted season ahead, Lawson is prepared for what could be his toughest yet most rewarding year in Formula 1.