Brief overview of Liam Lawson’s career in motorsport

Liam Lawson has made an impressive career in motorsport so far. At 21 years old, Lawson was called up to drive for AlphaTauri in 2023 to replace Daniel Ricciardo who was injured. After five races, he performed well and proved his talent in the sport. Lawson has been a reserve driver for Red Bull and Red Bull’s junior team, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (AlphaTauri), since 2022.

Similarly to many other drivers, Liam Lawson began racing at the young age of seven years old in his hometown of Pukekohe, New Zealand. Lawson competed in numerous karting championships across New Zealand where he secured two championship titles in 2014. Lawson then moved on to race in a single-seater series where he made his debut in the Formula First Manfeild Winter Series. He raced with Sabre Motorsport and had an impressive first year. Lawson was signed as a Red Bull Junior Driver in 2019 and continued to work with Red Bull and their Junior team up until 2023. In September of 2024, Liam Lawson was announced as Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement for the remaining races of the 2024 season. Lawson has proved his talent and determination in the sport and will continue to produce successful results. 

‍

Liam Lawson's age, family and early life

Liam Lawson was born on February 11th, 2002, which makes him the same age as Oscar Piastri and cements him as one of the youngest drivers on the Formula 1 grid. Lawson was born in Hastings, New Zealand but grew up in Pukekohe. Lawson is the son of Jared and Kristy Lawson, and he is one of three children. Jared Lawson acted as Liam’s coach and played an important role in his son’s passion for racing while his mother and siblings have always supported his motorsport career as well. 

Lawson grew up in Pukekohe which is where the Pukekohe Park Raceway is located. This is where Liam began his karting career and realized his love for the sport. As he showed dominance throughout his early years, it was clear that he had the talent and capability to move up into the single-seater series. Although Lawson had the raw talent to do well, motorsport is very expensive and it doesn’t come without its sacrifices. Lawson’s parents sold their house in order to fund Lawson’s career, and thankfully it paid off as Liam Lawson was announced as the second Red Bull driver, replacing Sergio Perez for the 2025 season. 

‍

Start of Liam Lawson's Formula 1 Journey

Liam Lawson will be joining the Formula 1 grid in 2025 after Red Bull announced the young New Zealander as their second driver alongside Max Verstappen. Lawson is replacing Sergio Perez, who was originally contracted to be driving for the Red Bull during the 2025 season. After a very unsuccessful year, Perez was demoted which saw Lawson claim his seat because of the many Formula 1 accolades the Kiwi has displayed throughout the few races he has participated in.

Liam Lawson signed with the Red Bull Junior Team in February of 2019. Since then, he has played an integral part in Red Bull’s development and has been able to leave his mark on the sport before even securing a full time seat. Lawson had his first opportunity to get behind the wheel of an F1 car in 2021 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Here he drove the 2011 Red Bull RB7 and displayed his prowess in the car. Lawson participated in the Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test at the end of the 2021 season where he drove the AT02 with Scuderia AlphaTauri.

Lawson made his first official debut in Formula One during the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix free practice session. Shortly after, Lawson was announced as the official reserve driver for Red Bull Racing as well as for AlphaTauri. In 2023, AlphaTauri announced that Daniel Ricciardo would be replacing Nyck de Vries after the British Grand Prix. Ricciardo only drove in a couple of races before he injured himself, which then saw Liam Lawson step up to the plate. Lawson performed very well under the pressure of the situation and clearly piqued the interest of the Red Bull team. 

In 2024, it was announced that Liam Lawson would be replacing Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls after his poor performances throughout the season. This was the first time that Lawson had the opportunity to race full time with the team until the end of the season. Following the completion of the 2024 season, Red Bull announced that Lawson would be replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull for the 2025 season. This is a major achievement for the young driver and after his stellar performances with AlphaTauri and RB, there is no doubt that he won’t produce similar results in the future. 

‍

Notable moments and races in Liam Lawson's career

Liam Lawson had some very impressive results throughout his Karting career. He secured two karting titles back in 2014, which proved his capabilities to move up into the single-seater series. Lawson will still return to his roots and kart at the Auckland Go Kart Club on Rosebank Road, Avondale. Despite his busy schedule, he still finds time to occasionally compete in the big City of Sails race on Auckland Anniversary Weekend. 

Liam Lawson made his single-seater debut with Sabre Motorsport in the Formula First Manfeild Winter Series. He impressed everyone by taking a win, ten podium finishes and lastly, finishing in second place overall. He continued his journey with Sabre where he drove in the NZ Formula First Championship. Here, he was able to claim a race win alongside three podium finishes which helped him secure the Rookie of the Year title after finishing in sixth overall in the championship. 

Taking the next step of his career, Lawson moved up to the Australian F4 Championship and raced with BRM in 2017. In his rookie season, Lawson claimed five wins and finished in a very impressive second place in the championship. Lawson continued his journey in Formula 4, but moved to the ADAC F4 Championship and raced with Amersfoort Racing. 

Lawson ventured into other racing series’ and tried his hand at the Toyota Racing series where he joined the M2 Competition for the 2019 championship. Lawson also competed in the Formula European Masters with Motopark and the Euroformula Open Championship before joining MP Motorsport to race alongside Richard Verschoor and Simo Laaksonen. 

In 2020, Lawson participated in the post-season testing with Hitech Grand Prix and then was later announced to be competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2021 where he would race alongside Jüri Vips. Lawson performed well throughout the season and finished in ninth place in the championship after scoring one win and three podium finishes. 

In 2022, Lawson moved teams to race for Carlin where he drove with Logan Sargeant as his teammate. Lawson had a stellar year and ended in third place in the driver’s championship after securing four wins and six podium finishes.

After a series of Formula One starts between 2021 to 2024 and being a part of the Red Bull Junior Team, Liam Lawson finally secured a full time drive with Red Bull Racing for the 2025 season. Lawson is replacing Sergio Perez and will be driving alongside the reigning champion, Max Verstappen. 

‍

Liam Lawson height: How tall is Liam Lawson?

Liam Lawson stands at an average height of 5 '7 feet (1.74 meters), which slots him alongside the majority of his other Formula 1 teammates. The tallest drivers on the Formula 1 grid are George Russell, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman, and Jack Doohan.

It is unclear how much Liam Lawson weighs officially, but it has been estimated that he is around 158 lbs (72 kg). Lawson follows a very intense workout regime that ensures he stays competitive within the car. Motorsports require a tremendous amount of cardio and abdominal strength as well as maintaining an overall high level of fitness. Drivers usually train in cardio, strength training, reflex training, and lastly, endurance racing. All of these endeavours help to ensure that the drivers perform their best when they are behind the wheel. 

‍

Liam Lawson's net worth

It has been estimated that Liam Lawson’s net worth sits around $1.5 million as of August 2023. Although this isn’t a confirmed number, his Formula One salary, bonuses, sponsorships and endorsements all contribute to his significant income. With his recent contract signing to Red Bull Racing, it is suspected that Lawson’s net worth may increase. 

It is important to note that this information can change quickly and we do not have the exact details on this subject. 

Liam Lawson's helmet design and its significance

Liam Lawson’s helmet consists of two main color components: pink and white. Although he has to feature the Red Bull logo, Lawson likes to have fun with his helmets and design them to stand out when alongside the rest of the grid. 

Lawson still utilizes pink elements throughout his helmet but has also incorporated some red and yellow which has helped to make his design more noticeable in the car. 

In previous years, Lawson has taken to the F1 tracks using the number 15. It is suspected that is the number he will be racing with again, but that has not been confirmed yet. 

‍

Liam Lawson’s relationship status: Who is Liam Lawson’s girlfriend?

Liam Lawson has reportedly been in a relationship with Hannah St. John since early 2022. St. John graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Arizona State University in December of 2024. The couple is very public about their relationship and she is seen supporting her beau at his racing events. 

Hannah St. John also does content creation on the side and has a very successful social media presence between TikTok and Instagram. 

It is important to respect the privacy of the drivers and note that personal relationships can change very quickly. 

Future prospects for Liam Lawson in Formula 1

With his undeniable skill and impressive career thus far, Liam Lawson’s future in motorsport looks very promising. Lawson’s first full season in Formula 1 will be with Red Bull Racing at the start of 2025 after he replaced Sergio Perez. Lawson will be driving alongside Max Verstappen and it is expected that the young New Zealander is sure to make waves in the racing world.