Liam Lawson comes clean on his views on Sergio Perez

Liam Lawson recently made his feelings clear about Sergio Perez. He stated that he had a lot of respect for the Mexican and also recalled one of his best races when he was at Sauber.

After the 2024 F1 season ended at Abu Dhabi, Red Bull officially announced Sergio Perez's departure. The Mexican had the worst season with the Austrian giants in 2024 in terms of points, which triggered the decision to part ways. Following his departure, the team was quick to announce Liam Lawson as his replacement.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports as a new Red Bull driver, Liam Lawson said that he has massive respect for the Mexican driver. He praised Checo for his contributions to the sport and also remembered his performance at the 2012 Malaysian GP, where he fought Fernando Alonso and secured his first podium finish.

"It's huge I mean honestly, it goes back to when I was a kid and I remember watching a race that I think in Malaysia in the Sauber and he was fighting with Fernando Alonso. I remember that race as a kid and obviously to be competing against these guys now anyways, to put things into perspective, is quite crazy," Lawson said at 8:37.

"I have a huge amount of respect for what he's done in the sport and what he's done for this team. Obviously it's probably big shoes to fill, but it's exciting," he added.

Previously, Lawson drove for Racing Bulls (RB) for a few Grand Prix, having replaced Daniel Ricciardo mid-season. Since Checo was already struggling in the midfield, he and Lawson had a few heated on-track battles.

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Liam Lawson apologizes after showing the middle finger to Sergio Perez during the 2024 F1 Mexico GP

Liam Lawson recently apologized for showing the middle finger to Sergio Perez at the Mexico Grand Prix.

During lap 17 of the race, both drivers came close and started to fight for the position. Checo was pushing hard while Lawson was defending with all his might. On Turn 4 in Lap 19, the Red Bull driver tried to overtake Lawson, but the latter kept his car side-by-side and also had a subtle collision with Perez.

After their intense battle, Lawson overtook Perez and showed the middle finger to the Red Bull driver from his cockpit.

Following the race, however, Lawson admitted the mistake and apologized for his behavior. He stated how he was frustrated because Perez was hampering his race.

“It's obviously one of those in the moment things. He spent half the lap blocking me, trying to ruin my race, so I was upset. But it's not an excuse. I shouldn't have done it, and I apologise for that,” Lawson said.

Liam Lawson will now race alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen from 2025.