Lawson: Since I was 8, I dream of being Formula 1 World Champion

According to Red Bull, they selected Lawson for his mental strength and gritty determination, qualities that have defined his career. Recalling the moment team principal Christian Horner delivered the news, Lawson said: “I couldn’t stop, my face hurt from smiling so much!”

His path to Formula 1 has been shaped by his family’s unwavering support. He reflected on their pivotal role, particularly the reaction of his father Jared Lawson to the Red Bull announcement.

Lawson shared on Talking Bull podcast: “Dad's been with me since day one. He always made me believe that I could achieve anything if I worked hard enough for it. Seeing him get emotional about this news was really special – it’s something I’ve never seen before.

“My parents and siblings have given up so much for me to be here. This is as much their achievement as it is mine," said Lawson, whose family even sold their house to support his burgeoning career in motorsport, a sacrifice that continues to drive him forward.

"I was like, oh, you know, Dad, just looking at planning my, my January sort of calendar at the moment, so can I head back to Europe around mid January, towards the end of January?" recalled Lawson.

"Normally we have a test with VCARB and and Imola, and that was the same last year, and that was planned this year as well. And I said to him, I, you know, I'm actually not going to be testing in the middle right now. I'm going to be testing and going to be testing in Silverstone now.

"And just to see, like, sees reaction. He was like, What are you saying? And and so I said, you know, I got the [Red Bull] seat basically. And it was real funny, because he he, he sat on it for probably two minutes, and I could see just, you know, couldn't really believe it, as, you know, the same for me. And then probably a delay of two minutes he then, then he started reacting, and he got emotional about it.

"It was very cool, you know, it's he wouldn't. Then went and got my mom, who was in a different room, and and basically told. A family. So yeah, for everybody, they've given a lot. For me, especially when I was younger, a lot.

As he steps into the Red Bull Racing seat, Lawson is eager to learn from his future teammate, three-time World Champion Max Verstappen: “I’ve got the best guy as my team-mate to learn from. Max has been really supportive over the years, even when I was a reserve driver feeling the pressure. There’s no one better to learn from, and I’m looking forward to working alongside him and contributing to the team’s success," declared Lawson.

For Lawson, joining Red Bull is the realisation of a dream that began when he was just a child. “Every driver’s dream is to win a World Championship, and that’s been my goal since I was a kid. But for now, my focus is on helping the team secure the Constructors’ Championship and becoming competitive as quickly as possible.

“I’ve worked for this since I was eight years old. This is a dream come true, but it’s just the beginning. I can’t wait to get started," said Lawson who will kae his debut for his new team at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix on 16 March.

Lawson also expressed excitement about representing his home country on the global stage, noting the support from his Kiwi fans: “New Zealand has always been behind me, and I’m proud to carry that support into Formula 1. I’m ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

He elaborated on being Kiwi at the pinnacle of sport: "There's not many, many of us as a country, to be honest, we're a population of 5 million. So, yeah, it's, it's very exciting. Obviously, we have a lot of history in Formula 1 from a long time ago. And, you know, obviously I hope to carry that forward now."

"Every year I go home and the support gets bigger and bigger, and that's really cool to see," said Lawson. "You know, motorsport has been big in New Zealand since I was a kid and growing up racing go karts. It's, honestly, it's really competitive. There's a lot of really good guys coming up, you know, through through the ranks in New Zealand, but it's so hard to make the step to international racing.

"So, yeah, obviously, I'm very lucky to to be in this position and the support from home. You know, I'm extremely proud to be from New Zealand, and to get to fly the flag this year, next year as well, and in the main team. Yeah!"

With a combination of talent, resilience, and a drive to succeed, Lawson is poised to make his mark at Red Bull Racing and take the next steps toward fulfilling his lifelong dream. For sure the pressure is on him to perform.

One could argue, he needs not beat Verstappen (on one expects him to) but if he can shadow the world champion, absorb and learn, finish behind the #1 Red Bull every time they Qualify and race, keep the pressure on then he will achieve what his bosses want.

With nothing to lose and a lot to prove Lawson may have less pressure than Verstappen to perform. The World Champion, has to beat Lawson soundly (as he has done to so many before) and never be beaten on by the new kid on the Red Bull chopping block. Pressure on both sides of the garage.