Horner applies early pressure on Lawson in face of 'daunting Red Bull task'

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has acknowledged Liam Lawson is facing a “daunting task” as he joins the front-running team next year.

Lawson has been named as Sergio Perez's replacement at Red Bull after the Mexican's exit was confirmed earlier this week, beating RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda to the promotion.

The 22-year-old has just 11 grand prix starts to his F1 resumé after gaining his experience via a duo of mid-season promotions to the sister RB team.

Next year, Lawson will go head-to-head against Max Verstappen who enters the new campaign aiming to bag a fifth consecutive F1 title.

Explaining Red Bull's decision, Horner stated Lawson's drives in his early F1 career showcased his abilities to the front-running team.

“I’m delighted to announce that Liam will join the team in 2025,” Horner said. 

“Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with Racing Bulls have demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but that he’s also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top. 

“His arrival continues the team’s long history of promoting from within the Red Bull Junior Programme and he follows in the footsteps of championship and race-winning drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and, of course, Max Verstappen. 

“There’s no doubt that racing alongside Max, a four-time champion and undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers ever seen in F1, is a daunting task.

“But I’m sure Liam can rise to that challenge and deliver some outstanding results for us next year.”