#30 · Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson
Red Bull junior who substituted for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023, replaced Ricciardo full-time at Racing Bulls in late 2024, was briefly promoted to Red Bull in early 2025, then returned to Racing Bulls.
Why he matters
Lawson’s career is a case study in Red Bull’s churn-and-burn driver pipeline. Promoted to Red Bull for the start of 2025 alongside Verstappen, he was sent back to Racing Bulls after two rounds when the senior team’s car proved too difficult to drive for anyone other than Verstappen (a recurring theme of recent years). He’s now the senior driver at Racing Bulls and the most experienced operator there in 2026.
How he drives
Lawson is quick over a single lap, robust in wheel-to-wheel combat, and willing to stick his nose into a gap that more cautious drivers won’t. The criticism is that his consistency over a full race weekend dips more than a top driver should.
Watch for
- His battles with rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad: a generational pairing inside a Red Bull-fed team.
- His qualifying performances at street circuits. Lawson punches above the car’s level when the track punishes mistakes.
- The persistent question of whether Red Bull will ever bring him back to the senior team.
Career receipts
Through the 2026 season
0
Race wins
0
Podiums
0
Pole positions
0
Championships
Last race
Decoder breakdown of the most recent round