‘We’re Here to Win’: Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Liam Lawson on Stepping into the Unknown of F1

As the clouds hovered over Melbourne on an unseasonably cool autumn Sunday, a buzz of nervous excitement washed over Albert Park. Three long months since the spectacular 2024 Formula 1 season reached a rousing crescendo, fans and drivers had been champing at the bit to get back out on the track. But for Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Liam Lawson, this was so much more than just another race.

With this start, the spirited 23-year-old fulfilled a lifelong goal, one that has taken him from his hometown, Pukekohe, on New Zealand’s north island to the championship-winning garages of Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom. Eager to prove the Oracle Red Bull Racing’s show of faith was justified, Lawson had everything to race for and nothing to hold back. What’s more, he was under no disillusions as to what was expected of him.

“We’re here to win,” he told me ahead of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix event in Melbourne over the weekend. “For me, I want to be competitive. In anything I do, I’m like that. I’ve been given a great opportunity with Oracle Red Bull Racing this year and in a good position to fight at the front.”

It’s been a long journey simply to get to this point. Endearingly understated, Lawson’s rise through motorsport’s most competitive ranks reads like a Hollywood manuscript. The talented youngster showed promise, fearless from the get-go and bursting with natural talent, but he hardly fit the traditional mould.

Where other drivers are blessed by virtue of a family connection, Lawson had to forge his own path. The Kiwi driver’s parents famously sold their family home in New Zealand to support his racing dream, granting him the financial means to take training to another level. The gamble paid off.

In 2019, Lawson joined the Red Bull team as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, with his first season in FIA Formula 3 signalling signs of promise. His all-guns-blazing approach may ruffled a few feathers in the grid, but the young gun’s raw talent was undeniable. More than five years and countless ‘almost starts’ as a reserved driver later, Lawson is finally getting his chance to prove his worth.

The 23-year-old Red Bull reserve driver was officially elevated to full-time at the end of the 2024 season, replacing outgoing star Sergio Pérez as second pilot. With fan favourites Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda both ready and willing to take the reins, Lawson’s promotion was seen as a shock to many, but none more so than the man himself. As he revealed, the moment that long-awaited call finally came in, he knew his life was about to change forever.

“I was actually just in the gym training and that’s when I got the message, and then I had a phone call later that night,” he explained. “It was a very surreal moment, obviously, for me; something that I’ve worked towards since I was very, very young. The nice part was having quite a few weeks to enjoy that feeling and spend the time with the team getting prepared for the season. It did go very fast.”

Thankfully, the big day has finally come. With the launch of the 2025 Formula 1 season officially kicking off in Melbourne, Lawson’s pseudo-home Grand Prix, the culmination of a lifetime of work reaches its acme. We caught up with the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver and TAG Heuer ambassador ahead of the season opener to discuss new beginnings, dealing with the pressure, and what it means to finally get the drive.

You’ve fought for this opportunity for years, and now you’re officially an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver. What was the moment like when you got the call telling you it was happening?

It was over a couple of weeks. It was very competitive at the end of last year and it very quickly after the season. I was actually just in the gym training and that’s when I got the message, and then I had a phone call later that night. It was a very surreal moment, obviously, for me; something that I’ve worked towards since I was very, very young. The nice part was having quite a few weeks to enjoy that feeling and spend the time with the team getting prepared for the season. It did go very fast. 

There must be a lot of expectations weighing on you. What goals have you set for yourself this season?

For me, I want to be competitive. In anything I do, I’m like that. We’re here to win. I’ve been given a great opportunity with Oracle Red Bull Racing this year and in a good position to fight at the front. The first part of the year is going to be learning a lot and trying to put myself in a position to fight at the front. That’s really my target, especially for the first half of the year.

You’re entering your first full season at a time when F1 is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Do you ever think about your place in the sport’s history, or is it all about the present moment?

To be honest, it’s not something that I think about much. I do think it’s important for us to do that, and throughout the season, throughout this year, I will try at times to take a bit of a bird’s eye view of what’s going on because it’s something that is very cool. It’s very exciting and something I’ve dreamt of doing since I was very young. 

I think if I told ten-year-old me that I’d be doing what I’d be doing now, he’d be pretty excited. It’s very easy to get lost in the moment. We’re so focused on always improving, doing better and winning races; that’s more or less where I’m focused most of the time. So at times, I will take a step back and look at what I’m doing.

Joining the team full-time means partnering up with reigning champion Max Verstappen. How has the dynamic been and have you found a synergy as teammates?

We have to. Naturally, we have to work together. For the team, the more that we work together and push the car forward will be better for everybody. So, that’s part of being in a Formula 1 team and only having two cars. It’s up to both of you guys to work together. For me, I have been a reserve driver for quite a few years, so I watched Max when I was younger and he was always good to talk to. He always gave me advice when I was younger racing in Formula 2, Formula 3, and other championships. Now to be his teammate, it’s a very good opportunity.

The other element of being an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver is the connection to team partner TAG Heuer. Are you a watch fan?

I am. My first watch was actually a TAG Heuer and it was a gift when I was a bit younger. So I think when I grew up, I never really understood much about watches and then, when I had one, it completely changed my view, honestly. I was noticing other people’s watches and looking around and starting to take an interest. I had a Carrera maybe five or six years ago when I was a lot younger and that’s honestly what started my initial passion for watches.

Right now I have the new Red Bull Racing edition. So I think that’s the one I’ll be wearing for most of the season. I’ll be repping it on the track. Being in Formula 1, I like te sporty look of the watch, more than anything else. I quite like clean colours and simple looks, so not too many contrasting elements. 

Off-the-track, how would you describe your personal style? Is fashion something that you are innately connected to?

Luckily, we have a lot of support within the team. I don’t know. For me, it depends on what the event is and obviously, first of all, what the dress code is. If I’m picking it myself, I always try to be a little bit unique; not the same as everybody else. That’s generally how I how I make decisions on anything I do, honestly. I’m not trying to do the standard thing. That’s the best way I can describe it.

Tell me a little bit about the car this season. How do you feel about it? Is it performing the way you want it to?

Ask me tomorrow. No, I think we have a good understanding. Honestly, not a huge amount has changed. Yes, will be a big change. So last year, it was very similar to this year; we’re all making small improvements. I think we have improved the car, but it’s really hard to know exactly how much we’ve improved and whether we are competitive with other teams. We’ll have much more of an understanding on Saturday, honestly, when we do qualifying, but I think we’ve we’re in a good place.

You’ve openly shared that your parents sacrificed a lot to get you into F1, even selling the family home. I wanted to ask, with your first paycheck, are you finally going to buy your parents a house?

That’s definitely the goal. Obviously, I need to have a good season first to be able to do that. They sold their house when I was racing go-karts, and have never been able to buy a house since, so definitely the first thing that I would like to do is put them in a position where they can live happily again. I’m very lucky to have parents that sacrifice like that because I wouldn’t be here without them.

Australia and New Zealand have a deep sporting rivalry, but in motorsport, there’s always been a sense of unity. Do you feel that connection when you race in this part of the world?

Melbourne is a race that’s very close to home for me. It’s the closest race to New Zealand, where I’m from, it’s a race that I’ve watched from a young age. When I was very, very young, I used to watch and I’ve always wanted to race here. So to start the season in this team and to start my first full season as a Formula 1 driver, it’s very exciting to do that here.