Liam Lawson can’t wait to work alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, even though he knows he’s got his work cut out for him. The young Kiwi driver sees it as a golden opportunity to learn from the best in the business.
“To be honest, I’m most looking forward to it,” Lawson told Auto, Motor und Sport. “Max is the best in the world in our sport right now.”
He’s particularly excited about getting access to Verstappen’s data during practice sessions, which will show him exactly how the four-time world champion works his magic on track.
“Sure, it’ll be really tough to keep up with him,” Lawson admits. “But there’s nobody better to learn from.”
This isn’t the first time these two have crossed paths. When Lawson made his F1 debut at Zandvoort, Verstappen was there with some simple but meaningful advice: “Above all, try to enjoy it.”
The 22-year-old New Zealander is making quite a jump up the ladder. He’s only got 11 Grand Prix starts under his belt – five of them filling in for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023, and another six at the end of 2024 when Ricciardo stepped aside permanently.
But can a relatively inexperienced driver handle the pressure of joining a top team?
Jos Verstappen, Max’s father and a former F1 driver himself, has some wisdom to share. He learned it the hard way back in 1994 when he was Michael Schumacher‘s teammate at Benetton.
“My advice is that he shouldn’t make the mistake I made,” Jos told F1 Insider. “Don’t try to keep up with Max at all costs. Lawson has to do his own thing.”
The elder Verstappen added one more bit of insight: “Hopefully, he has a similar driving style to Max. Then they can improve the car together.”
