Helmut Marko has set Liam Lawson the challenge of consistently racing hard during his maiden Red Bull Formula 1 campaign in 2025.
Lawson was given the nod to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for next season on Thursday.
The Kiwi has a lot to live up to as Max Verstappen’s future team-mate with only 11 Grand Prix starts under his belt across the last two seasons at AlphaTauri/RB.
However, Red Bull Advisor Marko has liked what he’s seen from Lawson so far and prior to the New Zealander getting the nod, challenged him to continue as he’s started in F1.
“Liam proved already that he’s a tough racer, he’s not shy to fight with big names like he did with [Fernando] Alonso, with [Lewis] Hamilton, also with Perez,” Marko said on the Inside Line F1 Podcast.
“So now, if he gets a full season, he has to show that he is able to race again.
“I mean in qualifying he was more or less on the same level like Yuki [Tsunoda], and we have to see how much more is coming to see if he is becoming one of the great drivers.
“I would also say that he is in the races more consistent, that he has top times with both type of drivers.
“There is some sort of variation still, but that is, I mean, I don’t think he had 10 Grand Prix so far. That just comes with experience.”
Red Bull: Liam Lawson is ‘a real racer’
Lawson’s steely determination saw him raise tempers with Alonso in the United States GP Sprint, but the New Zealander stood his ground in the face of an angry veteran Spaniard.
A week later he went wheel-to-wheel with Perez at the Mexican’s home race, surrendering no quarter with the man whose drive he wanted to steal.
It’s no wonder then that Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner then said that Lawson’s “performances over the course of his two stints with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls have demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but that he’s also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top.”
Lawson will need to “mix it with best” next season as he is up against four-time world champion Verstappen for his first full season in F1 next year.
If that pressure wasn’t enough, Marko has compared Lawson to fellow New Zealanders who have made a historic impression on F1.
“Lawson reminds me of Bruce McLaren or Denny Hulme, quite down-to-earth and mentally strong,” the Austrian told Auto Motor und Sport.
Living up to being Verstappen’s team-mate, emulating McLaren’s founder and the 1967 Drivers’ Champion is quite a lot to deal with, but Red Bull believes Lawson is up to the task.
READ MORE – Liam Lawson promoted to Red Bull as Sergio Perez replacement
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