Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen getting advice on the pressure of performing for Red Bull

Liam Lawson A new partner may be found in 2025 If Paddock is speculating about Sergio Perez’s career Have to believe. However, the New Zealand driver said there is pressure to perform well red Bull Family never goes away. In fact, it will probably only increase if max verstappen Next year is on the other side of his garage.

“You’re always being evaluated,” Lawson shared with me on our road trip from California to Nevada before the Las Vegas Grand Prix. (You can watch the full video here). “Especially in your early years in F1, the way our contracts are (set up) and the way teams are judging us – we have performance clauses, so we’re always under pressure. You’re never really safe.”

Even when the 22-year-old secured a full-time seat at VCARB, replacing Daniel Ricciardo in September, The pressure did not reduce. “Last year, I was trying to get a full-time seat. Now, I’ve got a full-time seat, but I’m trying to stay in Formula 1. It’s the same kind of thing. We’re obviously trying to get the best results, but I don’t think your mindset really changes,” he explained.

Yet despite the immense pressure of performing and now living within the F1 paddock, Lawson was relieved that at least the paddock was extremely welcoming. “Max has always been very good to me in those years when I was the reserve driver,” he said, noting that the four-time world champion had obviously watched a lot of his Super Formula and DTM races. “Not that he was keeping an eye on (me) or anything, I think he just watches a lot of different (racing) series, like he watched a lot of my races.

“I would come back from a Super Formula race and Max would talk to me about an incident that had happened. I’d say, ‘Dude, why were you watching that?’ But it was really cool, especially when I was a reserve driver because my eyes were wide and everything seemed new to me. It was really nice of Max to talk to me at that time. I took a lot of advice from him.”

Less than 12 months after completing his first stint on the grid, Lawson got the call for a full-time seat at VCARB. “It was more a relief than anything,” he said, citing months of speculation that he would step into the role midway through the season. “It was talked about for a long time, and I don’t think the team knew exactly what they were going to do. It was clear to me that I was probably going to get a seat somewhere, but we didn’t know where or how it would work, or if it would even be real.

There were so many theories and speculations that Lawson didn’t even tell his parents until the deal was finalized. “There was a period when I was told that I couldn’t really talk to my parents. I couldn’t keep calling them and telling them I still didn’t know (for sure), so I waited until it was literally told to my face,” he said.

“I called my dad in New Zealand at three in the morning, and the phone barely rang. “He picked up the phone right away, he was awake and waiting (to hear the news),” Lawson added. “It all started with me and my father when I was very young. My family has sacrificed everything to enable me to do thisSo it is very important for them also.”