"Thought it was Daniel Riccardo for a second": Fans react to Red Bull sharing Liam Lawson's training footage

Red Bull Racing shared a video of its new signing, Liam Lawson, training with tennis balls to improve his reflexes. However, his abrupt drops invited hilarious reactions from fans on social media.

Lawson is set to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing this year. He will partner with Max Verstappen and will hope to help RBR return to the top of the constructors' charts in F1.

The New Zealander had earlier replaced Daniel Ricciardo in the middle of the 2024 season and drove six races for the Racing Bulls. His performances were good enough to impress the think tank as Red Bull handed him a promotion over the many other options available on the drivers' market.

Meanwhile, ahead of the 2025 F1 season, Red Bull's SailGP Team dropped a video featuring Lawson. The 22-year-old took part in a tennis ball drill, a training technique used by F1 drivers to improve their reflexes.

However, in a hilarious turn, Lawson dropped some initial balls, which invited humorous reactions from fans on social media.

"Thought it was Riccardo for a second," wrote a fan.

A fan comment under the post from Red Bull Italy SailGP Team

Riccardo? 😢," wrote another fan.

Another fan comment under the post

Some fans criticised Liam Lawson failing the training by dropping easy balls.

"Yuki would never have dropped it btw," a user wrote.

A user commented on Liam Lawson's video

"He's gonna mess up 😭, bro practice," another user commented.

Three users commented under Red Bull Italy SailGP Team's post

"Surprised the camera didn’t immediately pan to Hadjar every time Liam dropped the ball," another fan took a dig at Lawson.

"You will miss checo very soon," a fan also said.

Meanwhile, Lawson will likely be gearing up for a steep challenge this year. At the age of 22, he has been appointed as Max Verstappen's teammate. As history suggests, the Dutchman's teammates have struggled to match up to his skills well enough.

From Carlos Sainz to Alex Albon to Sergio Perez, many Verstappen teammates have lost their seat over the last decade, whereas the 27-year-old has emerged as a four-time world champion. Hence, entering his first season as a full-time driver, Lawson will likely have his work cut out for him.

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F1 pundit makes big claim on Liam Lawson's mindset ahead of Red Bull move

Liam Lawson with Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen (Image Source: Getty)

Liam Lawson is officially a Red Bull driver after replacing Sergio Perez for the 2025 season. Ahead of his debut, former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve claimed that Lawson's mindset will be to replace his teammate Max Verstappen.

Talking to Action Network, he said (via racingnews365):

"It's a big chance for Liam Lawson; it's a big opportunity, but we've seen drivers being put into the main team right away collapse very quickly. Contractually, Lawson is there to help Verstappen, but in his own head, he's not. In his head, he's there to replace Max, so he will try to be tough and quick."

Lawson showed his fierce side to the world during the 2024 season when he challenged Sergio Perez head-on. While Red Bull management weren't impressed with his aggressive gestures, Lawson's competitive side might help him sustain the pressure this year.