Liam Lawson responds to ‘senior’ driver tag as rookie teammate arrives

Liam Lawson sought to downplay the more senior role he is set to take on at Racing Bulls in 2026, pointing out that he only has one full season in Formula 1 himself.

Lawson first joined the grid in 2023 as an injury replacement for Daniel Ricciardo, lasting five races before moving back into a reserve role for 2024, competing in the final six races of the season in 2024.

Liam Lawson downplays ‘senior’ driver tag as Lindblad arrives at Racing Bulls

Despite it being his third season taking part in Formula 1 in 2025, it was the first season in which Lawson was on the grid for every race.

Even then, there was disruption, too, having taken part in the first two rounds with Red Bull before switching back to the sister team.

The New Zealander impressed with his performances in the second half of 2025, with his status at the team having been confirmed prior to the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi.

He will be joined by British rookie Arvid Lindblad next season, with the teenager having been highly rated within the Red Bull stable on his way up to Formula 1.

Despite Lindblad’s potential, though, Lawson explained that, when taken together, he is only a ‘veteran’ of a season-and-a-half’s worth of races in Formula 1.

With all-new cars and brand new regulations to work with in 2026, he is looking to use the lessons he has learned to help him on the way forwards.

More on the all-new regulations for F1 2026

F1 2026 tech analysed: The future of overtaking and biggest car advantage identified

F1 2025 vs F1 2026: Nine key questions ahead of massive regulation changes

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Put to Lawson that he could hold some sort of advantage at Racing Bulls by the experience he now holds, he replied to PlanetF1.com and other accredited media: “Yeah, but at the same time, it’s going to be a new car for me too – but yes, it’s great to have a year.

“I think I learned a lot from this year, and I think the main thing is for me, just being as ready as possible for next year, taking all of the learnings from this year and, like any year, next year will be very, very important for me.

“For sure, I expect the team to probably lean on me a little bit for experience. But at the same time, I’ve done one [full] season.

“Although you learn a huge amount in one season in Formula 1, what I hope is there are a lot of years to learn as well.”

Racing Bulls will be launching its new car in an unveiling in Detroit, in conjunction with Red Bull’s power unit partner, Ford, on January 15th.

With that, he explained his off-season time would need to be spent efficiently before the new season ramps up later in January.

Asked about how he would spend the shorter-than-usual gap between seasons, Lawson replied: “Pit stop at home, basically, go and see the family in New Zealand and then we’re basically back to work in early January.

“It’s going to be a very busy year next year, especially the first part, but we have a huge amount to learn.

“For the drivers, for us, it’s going to be a very different driving style next year for us to get on top of these cars, and it’s probably going to take quite a bit of time.”

Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: 10 things we say goodbye to in Formula 1 after 2025