“He’s been exceptional at that”: Shane van Gisbergen highlights one quality that has helped Liam Lawson succeed in the pinnacle of motorsports

With Abu Dhabi being the last race of the 2024 season, Liam Lawson looks forward to creating a final impression for a seat in Red Bull Racing next year. In a recent interview, NASCAR star, compatriot, and mentor Shane van Gisbergen highlighted one quality that helped Lawson succeed in the pinnacle of motorsports.

Liam Lawson began his racing career with karting. The Hastings-born racer progressed through the junior Formula division, winning the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship and Toyota Racing Series in 2016 and 2019, respectively. Witnessing his performance, Red Bull got Lawson into their junior team in Formula 2.

The 22-year-old got his first break in F1 as a substitute driver for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023. He returned to the grid in 2024 as a replacement for the Australian racer for the last six races of the season. Since then, Lawson has managed to score four points for VCARB. He is also rumored to replace Sergio Perez in the 2025 season.

In an interview published on Saturday, December 7, Lawson's former mentor van Gisbergen spoke highly about the young F1 driver (via Motorsport.com):

"Now he's succeeded at it. The way he's gotten to F1 has been a little difficult the last couple of years. But seeing him get this opportunity full-time now, I'm just stoked and so proud. I could see right from the start how into it he was — always watching racing or on the simulator. He just committed himself," the three-time Australian Supercars champion said.

"You’ve got to be versatile, which is something I've always tried to do by driving a bunch of different cars. It helps you when it comes to something new in the setup, something technical, or even with the weather changing. You’ve got to be able to adapt straight away. Liam's been exceptional at that. Even when F1 wasn’t working out, he did DTM and other racing that I think has really helped him," he added.

Ahead of the season finale, Lawson is placed 21st in the 2024 driver's table.

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"I feel like I've made the most of each opportunity" - Liam Lawson on possible entry in Red Bull Racing as replacement for Sergio Perez

Despite not running an entire Formula 1 season, Liam Lawson is touted as a replacement for F1 veteran Sergio Perez in Red Bull Racing. During a media interaction in Abu Dhabi on Friday, the 22-year-old driver spoke about his possible entry into the Austrian team in the 2025 season.

"I think next week would be a time I'd expect to have some information. What I'm focused on is having a seat. This weekend (Abu Dhabi) is my last chance to show that, and why I feel like I should be here," Lawson said.

"I feel like I've made the most of each opportunity, but I definitely didn't execute everything perfectly, and there's stuff that I'll learn from reflecting on these races. I would say I definitely tried and gave my best at every opportunity. Every decision, whatever I did at the time felt like the best thing for me to do, but obviously you never do the perfect race," he added.

If everything goes in his favor during the season finale at Abu Dhabi, Lawson stands a chance to join the four-time world champion Max Verstappen in the Milton-Keyes-based outfit next year.