His father, Jared, enjoyed watching races on TV, but it was a preschool friend who sparked young Liam’s love for the sport after he’d watched his friend go-karting at 5 years old.
READ MORE: Liam Lawson: Meet the Formula 1 race engineer guiding Kiwi to success
Lawson said he lost every race in his first year of karting, although he blamed it on subpar equipment his dad eventually replaced after a year of complaining.
From that point on, Lawson’s chances significantly improved, and his family came fully on board with his racing passion.
“I have been very, very lucky,” Lawson told GQ when discussing his move into racing in his early teens. “My early career was all possible because of sponsors. I met an amazing man who devoted all of his time to going out and finding sponsorships for me – he’d visit companies and essentially sell me to them as a driver.”
The feature story highlights Lawson’s struggle to overcome the harsh reality of F1 racing. The 23-year-old described the most recent season as “brutal” and said there’s no security when you’re vying for a top spot in the sport.
When it comes to gaining a seat in F1 racing, Lawson explains a lot of it hinges on acquiring the place of another driver’s dismissal.
“Last year was an emotional rollercoaster. You obviously never wish for somebody’s downfall, but I knew that the only way I was going to get a seat was to replace somebody,” Lawson told the magazine.
“In the meantime, Red Bull was testing me and I was trying to nail every single opportunity they gave me. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience.”
The 23-year-old told the magazine that driving in an F1 car adds a whole layer of complexity compared with F2 cars. With such unpredictability on the track, his main focus now is trying to “do away with expectation” and be the best version of himself for his team.
Lawson tries to stay away from social media, making note of the fury that ensued after he was given one of Red Bull’s seats in December 2024, replacing Mexico’s Sergio Perez. Luckily, he was “already offline” when it happened and missed most of the discussion that circulated online.
Still, the discourse from F1 fans is something Lawson remains acutely aware of: “Compared with how it used to be, it’s a lot more vocal. If you’re a fan of a driver, then you’re going to back them. I get it.”
It’s equally important for him to step back and take time for his personal life. His precious time off the track is usually spent with his girlfriend, Hannah St John; meanwhile, he’s discovered an interest in golfing (a sport he says he’s obsessed with but claims to be terrible at) and begun exploring his musical side for the first time since he was a child.
Lawson’s F1 career began when he joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2019. The junior team is designed to put the spotlight on up-and-coming racers, ensuring they’re adequately trained and prepped for an impending F1 career.
He made his debut on the F1 track in 2023 when he raced at the Dutch Grand Prix, replacing Australian racer Daniel Ricciardo after he’d broken his hand, and has raced along various F1 circuits since.
