Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson is a New Zealander racing driver who drove for AlphaTauri in the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship.

Liam Lawson was born on February 11, 2002, to father Jared Lawson and mother Kristy Lawson. The New Zealander driver was born in Hastings, New Zealand, and he represents New Zealand in his racing career.

The New Zealander started his career in karting like the vast majority of racing drivers. His potential was very soon clear, and already in 2005, he finished second in the Formula First Manfeild Winter Series.

In the 2016-17 season, Lawson dominated the New Zealand F1600 Championship Series, winning an incredible 14 out of 15 races and finishing every race on the podium while also recording 12 fastest laps.

After that, it was obvious that Lawson may be one of the most talented drivers to ever come out of New Zealand, so it's not a surprise that legendary motor racing driver Ken Smith mentors his compatriot.

After success in multiple junior series, Lawson's career progressed quickly. He won the Toyota Racing Series in 2019 and placed second in the following season while also finishing fifth in the Formula 3 Championship.

In 2021, Lawson competed in the Formula 2 Championship, finishing ninth overall, but in 2022, he improved his result, finishing third overall, only one point ahead of Logan Sargeant, who then got a seat in Williams Racing for the 2023 Formula 1 season.

Initially, Lawson didn't follow in Sargeant's footsteps, serving only as a reserve driver for Red Bull Racing in 2022 and 2023. However, after Daniel Ricciardo, who replaced Nyck de Vries in AlphaTauri (later renamed to RB / VCARB), broke a bone in his hand during a crash at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, Lawson replaced him, making his debut in the Formula One World Championship. In his first race, the New Zealander finished 13th.

In total, Lawson had a chance to shine in five Grand Prix weekends, during which he showed immense potential, outperforming his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Yet, he still ended up without a seat in F1 for 2025.

The Kiwi was a reserve driver for VCARB (former AlphaTauri) and Red Bull Racing until the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix (the 18th round of the 2024 season). Following this race, VCARB decided to part ways with Daniel Ricciardo, which (again) opened up an opportunity for Lawson to show what he has in the last six Grand Prix weekends of the season.