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IN FORMULA 1, performance is everything – a hard truth that Liam Lawson knows all too well. A member of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2019, with a slew of trophies from varying race categories under his belt, Lawson’s entry into F1 came with more challenges than usual – two mid-season promotions, first with Red Bull sister team (then, AlphaTauri) in 2023, and then with Red Bull in 2024. Not only did he have Daniel Ricciardo’s big shoes to fill both times but, because he delivered, he would eventually gain a permanent seat as Max Verstappen’s teammate for Red Bull last year – a coveted promotion that, historically, few survive.  

What followed was turbulent and crushing to witness: just two Grand Prix races in, another Red Bull reshuffle happened, sending the Hastings-born driver back to Racing Bulls, where he shines to this day.  

Over the past year, the world has witnessed Lawson recalibrate and turn down the noise to return to lean on the qualities that have long separated him from the pack: tenacity under pressure, a focused, goal-oriented mindset and the ability to dust himself off and get right back into the race. In a hype-addicted sport, Lawson’s appeal and competitive edge lie in the fact that when challenges and setbacks arrive, he is consistently willing, ready and able to meet them head on. 

Esquire Australia: What made you want to pursue F1 professionally in the first place? 

Liam Lawson: I’ve always loved anything with an engine, to be honest. When I was really young, I was obsessed with vehicles – bikes, cars, even diggers and tractors. My family didn’t race, so there was no introduction to motorsport. My dad watched a little bit of F1, and I would watch it and discovered motorsport, probably around four or five years old. But I had a friend in preschool who started racing go-karts, so I went and watched him. At that age, that’s all I wanted to do. So, my dad got me a go-kart, and that’s how I got into it. This friend and I grew up racing each other in go-karts and sort of went in different directions. He’s now one of the top Supercars drivers in Australia – Matthew Payne. 

When you’re not racing or training, what do your days look like? 

I love anything motorsport related. I love riding dirt bikes and recently got more into that. I built a dirt-bike track where my parents live in New Zealand and started riding more. I used to ride a little bit as a kid but couldn’t do too much of it because I was racing as well. So now I do it, and it’s all really good fitness. I like riding jet skis – and I just like doing things like that [laughs]. Lots of motorised activities. 

What do the more adventure-leaning things give you that F1 doesn’t? 

I’m definitely addicted to adrenaline [laughs], and you naturally get that from the things you do less of. So, I always like to do stuff that is out of my comfort zone. Last year, I drove a WRC car – the highest-level rally car – on a rally stage. And that’s something I have zero experience doing, but I just was like, ‘Yeah, I can do that’. Same with riding bikes – it’s really enjoyable for me. Because the stuff we do in Formula 1, as amazing as it is, there’s always a reason behind getting in the car – there’s almost a pressure behind being in the car. It’s always for a purpose, for work, and always to get feedback. You have to remind yourself to enjoy it, whereas everything else outside of that, doing all these other activities, is purely for enjoyment. It’s very rare that I would drive a race car just for fun. 

Every Kiwi adrenaline junkie seems to have that DNA chromosome that attracts them to driving on the dirt. Would you ever do rally? You’re in the Ford family now . . .  

I know, we do! [laughs] And I never really did it when I was young. I absolutely would love to. I’ve been asking them, like at any opportunity, I’m like, ‘If you want me to drive something, just let me know!’ 

Watches and cars go hand in hand. Are you a big watch guy?   

Oh yeah, definitely. Being in the sport, you’re surrounded by it, but growing up, some of the guys that helped me had very, very cool collections. So, I was introduced to watches at a young age, and learned about them, especially the investment side of it, and thought it was really cool. The first big watch I bought was a Rolex Daytona Panda, which was when I got my full time F1 seat. Outside of that, obviously, with [VCARB sponsor] Tudor, we have some pretty cool stuff, really cool team watches and a couple of different Black Bay watches, as well. 

You also have a love of playing guitar. Where did your passion for music come from? 

My dad has played music his whole life and still plays in a band, so my brother and I were introduced to it when we were very young. I studied guitar for seven years, from when I was seven to around 13 or 14. I got really good, actually. I learnt theory and started writing music, then lost the love for it due to all the studying for the exams. I stopped playing for five or six years, and I picked it up again a few years ago, and it’s the best thing I’ve done. I remember my parents saying, ‘If you stop, you’re going to regret it!’ I definitely do, but maybe I wouldn’t have found the love for it again as I have. When I started dating Hannah [St. John, an American model, in 2022] . . .  she loves country music, so I would learn country songs to play for her. So that was also partly what brought me back into it. 

That’s sweet. Does your playlist change as you travel?  

When I’m in America, I’m always listening to more country, especially in Austin – that whole week, I’m playing country music. Whereas when I’m racing elsewhere, I might listen to a lot more rap. Historically, my pre-race playlist has been more rap based, like J. Cole and old Kanye. I was in New Zealand over Christmas, and in New Zealand, drum and bass is what a lot of people listen to, so I’ve recently been listening to a lot more of that, as well. 

Last year you went through a lot. What did the season teach you about yourself? 

Honestly, more than I realised. I think the main thing is, having these experiences, you’re dealing with the incredible pressure that comes with being in Formula 1. Then, on top of everything that happened last year, you’re also dealing with a lot of hard situations. As a driver, you spend a lot of time by yourself and in your own head. You learn to talk to yourself, be with yourself and spend time with yourself, if that makes sense? So, through a lot of those hard times, dealing with those moments and how quickly our season moves, and how you mentally go through either a really high weekend or a really low weekend, you have to reset very quickly. That can be an emotional rollercoaster, honestly. It can actually not be very good for you, if you’re bad at dealing with that. So, trying to stay as level-headed as possible, regardless of the results, is quite important. 

And now, with all the viral-trend and meme success of Racing Bulls’ social media, you’re a social media star, too. 

[Laughs] Don’t tell them that! Don’t fuel it! Because if you fuel it, they’ll just want to do more of it! You should have seen what they got me for my birthday today. They got me this massive card that had a photo that says, “Good boy”, which I fucking hate [laughs]. And they literally just wrote, ‘Happy birthday’ on the card. That was it! Honestly, every time somebody says, ‘Oh, your social media is so good, they’re  like, ‘We just want to do more’. It fuels them. But yeah, I know, it is good [laughs]. 

Coming into a new season, what would make this year feel meaningful to you? Anything outside of results?   

Honestly? It’s a results-based sport. Especially for me, being with Red Bull from such a young age, results are the only way you move forward. So, it’s always been something I’ve had to have in the back of my mind, and it’s really the only thing I think about. If I think about the reason that I race, and the reason I wanted to do Formula 1, it’s always about trying to be the best. That’s why I’m in this sport. I’m very lucky. I obviously enjoy driving these cars and working with such an amazing team. It’s a super-high level. But really, the only goal I think about when it comes to being in the sport is just trying to be the best.

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