Top Formula 1 teams often avoid giving number one status to one of their drivers in public these days, but Red Bull have made it clear Liam Lawson is not to try challenging Max Verstappen

One day after dropping Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing officially picked 22-year-old Liam Lawson to be Max Verstappen's teammate next season.

Liam Lawson will race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing in 2025 for the first time but the two know each other well as the Kiwi has been an academy member for years

Liam Lawson will replace Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen's Red Bull partner for the 2025 F1 season, but there's one thing that irks the driver about the set-up

The 2025 season has not yet started, and at Red Bull Racing, the pressure is already on. Jos Verstappen believes that the departure of his son Max Verstappen from the Austrian team is not out of the question.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner has issued a clear statement on Max Verstappen and a potential future exit from the team. Verstappen wrapped up his fourth consecutive drivers' championship in 2024, but had to contend with a difficult Red Bull car at times.

Lawson, 22, has already been through his fair share of drama since stepping up to F1. There were complaints when he replaced fan favourite Daniel Ricciardo and supporters of Sergio Perez similarly came out in their numbers to vent about the Mexican driver losing his seat.

Red Bull expects Liam Lawson to closely match Max Verstappen's performance within three-tenths of a second as he joins the senior team in 2025, replacing Sergio Perez.

Speaking exclusively to Autosport, Christian Horner explains why he never doubted Max Verstappen's commitment to Red Bull