Waiting for his official debut with Red Bull, Liam Lawson drove the 2023 RB19 in a private test at the Spanish circuit.
Liam Lawson, the “non-rookie rookie” (as defined by Formula 1’s Instagram profile), is preparing for his first full season in Formula 1. After driving for AlphaTauri and Racing Bulls in 2023 and 2024, stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo on a few weekends, the 2002-born New Zealander has been promoted to Red Bull’s second driver.
Ahead of his official debut in the pre-season tests in Bahrain (February 26-28) and the first Grand Prix in Australia (March 14-16), Red Bull wanted to give the 23-year-old from Hastings another opportunity to familiarize himself with engineers and mechanics through a private test at the Spanish circuit of Jerez. The test, revealed today, was held earlier this month.
“The team’s goal is to win the Constructors’ Championship. They didn’t manage to do it last year, so obviously, we will try our best to make the car as fast as possible.” , Lawson explained before the F1 75 event last week.
“As for me, if we are in a position to fight for the Constructors’ Championship, then I’m doing my job. There will be an adaptation period, and I will make sure it’s as quick as possible. Having Max as a teammate will allow me to learn from him—there’s no one better than him, and I need to take advantage of that without putting extra pressure on myself.” .
“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Verstappen added. “I’ve seen Liam grow within the junior team, and he fully deserves this opportunity. I’m looking forward to working together and experiencing another great season.” Wednesday will be the first opportunity to see the new teammates in action, with the two drivers taking turns throughout the three-day test in Bahrain.
Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing on X