Lawson: 'Nobody better to learn from than Verstappen'
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Liam Lawson is under no illusions of the immense challenge that awaits him at Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen's new teammate but insists there's "nobody better to learn from" in F1 than the intrepid four-time world champion.
The Kiwi's promotion to the championship winning outfit as Sergio Perez's successor follows an impressive debut with AlphaTauri in 2023 when he substituted for Daniel Ricciardo in five races and then replaced the Aussie in the latter part of this season for six races with Visa Cash App RB.
Despite the daunting prospect of going up against Verstappen, who has established himself as the benchmark in F1 and effectively ended the Red Bull careers of several previous teammates, Lawson remains unfazed.
The 22-year-old is embracing the opportunity to learn and grow.
"There's nobody better to learn from," Lawson said, speaking to Speedcafe.
"It's an opportunity to become the best driver I can become. There's nobody better for me to go up against."
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Lawson's return to the grid at last October's US Grand Prix equated to a full-scale audition for 2025. But his strong showing put him in contention for a promotion, especially as Perez struggled to maintain his seat against Verstappen's dominant performances.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has described racing alongside Verstappen as "the toughest job in Formula 1," but Lawson is stepping into the hot seat with confidence.
"I feel ready for it," he insisted. "I don't expect to go in there and start winning races and best the guy straight away, that's obviously not my expectation.
"I know the team goal next year is to be fighting for the constructors' and if we're in a position to do that, I'm doing my job.
"Obviously, personally, long-term I have a goal of winning world championships in Formula 1 and being the best and that's what I'll be trying to achieve as quickly as possible.
"Being alongside Max, he's a great person to go up against, to be able to learn from, and hopefully achieve that in future."
As Red Bull's reserve driver since 2022, Lawson has had unique access to Verstappen's inner workings, observing his technical feedback, approach to racing, and mindset.
These experiences have given him a head start in understanding what sets the Dutchman apart as F1's current benchmark driver.
"As a reserve, you have a headset on in every single session, you're in every single debrief, you're doing the development, the simulator work before the races, and you have access to absolutely everything," Lawson explained.
"Watching how he operated, and how he communicated with the team, how he drove the car, his mindset in and out of the car, that's something that, to me, was very valuable.
"And now, obviously, I get to take that a step further and compare my stuff with his next year.
"So I think as much as he's going to be the hardest guy to go up against, in a way, there's nobody better to learn from.
"For me, it's an extremely exciting opportunity."
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