Liam Lawson, six Grands Prix to (re)prove himself: "I'm not guaranteed to race next year"

Patience will have paid off for Liam Lawson. The New Zealander will have spent almost a year on the sidelines waiting in garages Red Bull and Racing Bulls, may his luck return after his successful stints in 2023. He will have waited until the evening of the 18th Grand Prix of the season, after Singapore, to finally find out: yes, he will indeed finish the 2024 championship aboard a VCARB-01, taking the place of Daniel Ricciardo from the next round, in Austin (October 18-20).

However, Liam Lawson is under no illusions: while he is the favourite for a seat at Racing Bulls in 2025 – or even at Red Bull if things really go his way – the Kiwi knows that this opportunity could also turn against him in the event of repeated poor performances, hammering home that "nothing is set in stone" regarding his future. To do this, he will have six Grands Prix to prove himself, or rather repeat them since he had already impressed in 2023 by scoring points in his third race aboard a Alpha Tauri ill-born.

Liam Lawson talks about " relief " after his tenure

"I was given this opportunity for a good reason. But obviously it always depends on performance., he told the New Zealand Herald. Even when you have a contract for a full year, or a multi-year contract, it can be broken. It's not set in stone, I'm not guaranteed to race next year. That's the goal, that's why they gave me this opportunity: to prepare me to drive next year. But they still have to evaluate how I perform in the car." And when you know how quickly a contract can be broken in the Red Bull clan, the words of the 22-year-old driver are well-advised!

In the same interview, Liam Lawson also discussed the " relief " to finally be promoted to full-time driver for the end of the season, he who was patiently taking his time on the pit wall. “Everyone I called – my entire family, including my mom and dad, and the board of directors of amazing people who believed in me from day one – had the exact same reaction: it wasn’t excitement or joy, but relief., confides the New Zealander. I could hear it in their voices, after all the time it took, all the work and sacrifice it meant, especially for my family."

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