"I’ve said to them – that’s what I want to become": Liam Lawson's bold statement to Red Bull as he aims to join them in the future

Liam Lawson discussed the prospect of joining Red Bull in the future as a full-time driver. He mentioned clearing the air with the team regarding his goals, as the primary aim for him remains to race for RBR in F1.

Lawson is a promising junior driver for Red Bull. After replacing Daniel Ricciardo in 2023 for five races, he will be getting in that position again as the latter's contract was canceled mid-season. He will drive for VCARB alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the remainder of the 2024 season. While he is getting a drive in Formula 1, he's not exactly where he expects himself to be.

In a bold statement, Liam Lawson clarified that his goal remains to drive for Red Bull. He further claimed that he had sent the same message to the team as well.

"The conversations have always been in the direction of becoming a Red Bull driver in the future and that’s what I’ve said to them – that’s what I want to become, that’s why I joined the team and want to stay with them and join them in F1," Lawson told Formula 1.

He further mentioned that the team's goal is to replace under-performing drivers.

"That’s my goal and their goal, I think, is to have drivers to replace current drivers in the future at some point. That’s the goal. When that could happen, I have no absolutely idea. But I know it’ll be based on how I perform in the car."

---

Liam Lawson to face tough start at COTA with a grid penalty

The US Grand Prix will mark Lawson's first race this season after replacing Daniel Ricciardo after the Singapore GP. However, he will face a 10-place grid penalty due to an engine swap.

Ricciardo used all four allowed internal combustion engines in the 2024 season. Swapping one for an additional fifth incurs a 5-place grid penalty on the car. While this start might not be what that Liam Lawson had hoped for, Red Bull's Helmut Marko revealed that his performance will not be judged on the result of this race.

"The first [race], I think, won't be relevant because he has an engine penalty. Ten places in the sprint race, so that doesn't exactly make life easier in Austin," Marko told Motorsport-Total.

In the five races he took part in, Liam Lawson managed to score two points with a P9 finish in Singapore. The US Grand Prix will be his first time in a Formula 1 car this season as he is no longer eligible as a rookie driver to take part in free practice sessions.