Liam Lawson has been selected to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for the 2025 season, securing a seat alongside Max Verstappen.

However, the decision was far from straightforward, with Yuki Tsunoda also strongly considered for the role. The Japanese, who has spent four years with the team and participated in the post-season Abu Dhabi test for Red Bull, was seen by many as the more experienced and deserving candidate.

Ultimately, Red Bull chose Lawson, impressed by his rapid development and ability to perform under pressure.

The New Zealander made his F1 debut in 2023, stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri, after the Aussie injured his wrist, and did really well. This strong performance helped him secure a full-time seat at VCARB after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Even though, he has competed overall in only 11 races in the premier class, Lawson caught the team’s attention with consistent performances and two points-scoring finishes, which later led to his promotion to Red Bull.

However, despite Lawson’s potential, Franz Tost, the former AlphaTauri boss who oversaw Lawson’s debut, has warned the Kiwi not to try to compete directly with Max Verstappen.

“Both Tsunoda and Lawson deserved the promotion,” Tost told F1-Insider.

“All I can say about Liam is that he needs to do his own thing and never try to compete with Max Verstappen. 

“Max is one of the greatest of all time, on a par with Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. 

“He is nowhere near his peak and has endless potential. If you start looking at his lap times, it will go wrong.

“That's why Liam has to think only of himself and work with Max to try to make the car better. Anything else would be fatal to him and doomed to failure.”