FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 5, 2024 RB's Liam Lawson ahead of the grand prix REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) -New Zealander Liam Lawson will replace Sergio Perez in the daunting role of teammate to four times world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull next season, the Formula One team said on Thursday.
Mexican Perez's departure was announced on Wednesday and Lawson's promotion from Red Bull's sister team RB had been expected.
The 22-year-old made his F1 debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix as a five-race stand-in for injured Daniel Ricciardo and returned for the last six races of this season when the Australian was dropped.
"To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing Driver is a lifelong dream for me, this is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old," he said in a team statement.
"It’s been an incredible journey so far. I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team at VCARB (RB) for their support, the last six races have played a huge part in my preparation for this next step.
"I am super excited to work alongside Max and learn from a world champion, I have no doubt I will learn from his expertise. I can’t wait to get going."
Team boss Christian Horner said Lawson's performances had shown he was "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," he added.
"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."
A series of teammates have struggled to match Verstappen's pace at Red Bull since he arrived there in 2016, also promoted from within, and the role has become something of a poisoned chalice.
Perez joined in 2021 and had a strong 2023 season, finishing second overall in the championship but still a massive 290 points behind Verstappen, who won a record 19 of 22 races with his teammate taking only two.
The Mexican's form has collapsed this season, finishing eighth overall, while Verstappen went on to take his fourth title in a row.
Before him Alex Albon (2019-2020, now at Williams) and Pierre Gasly (2019, now at Alpine) were tried and found wanting.
Ricciardo, who partnered Verstappen at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018, beat the future champion in their first full season together but was behind in 2018 and then jumped ship for Renault.
Lawson's promotion opens a vacancy at RB, who will be renamed Racing Bulls next season, with French-Algerian Isack Hadjar expected to take it after finishing the season runner-up in Formula Two.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
