Liam Lawson issues another firm statement after causing ‘bullsh*t’ British anthem stir

Liam Lawson says he feels ready to take on the challenge of battling with Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing.

Lawson has been dropped into the VCARB alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the final six races of the F1 2024 season, in what is an unofficial evaluation of his prowess to perhaps see whether the Kiwi would be ready to jump into the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen next season.

Liam Lawson: I feel ready for Red Bull

Lawson immediately impressed upon his debut last year, when he was dropped in as a replacement for Ricciardo following a hand injury at Zandvoort.

Scoring points in Singapore, the Kiwi was nonetheless overlooked for a full-time race seat for 2025 as AlphaTauri rebranded to VCARB, but Ricciardo’s ongoing sporadic form has resulted in the Red Bull reserve being given his chance over the final six races of the year.

Whilst still most likely to be slotted into the vacant VCARB next season, the only unconfirmed seat on the grid, Perez’s struggles have resulted in Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Helmut Marko each hinting that changes could be made following the season’s end.

If Lawson does get the call-up, he’ll be ready for the challenge of facing off against three/four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, as he explained to the NZ Herald.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to show in my performance for the last couple of races,” he said.

“But that decision comes from the team, from Christian [Horner] and Helmut [Marko]. I would feel ready for that.

“But the best way to show that is by performing on track. Regardless of whether I’m being looked at by Red Bull or not, I’m just focused on performing anyway to stay in the sport.”

But while Lawson has himself said he’s not in motorsport to make friends, he’s also accepting that only results will convince the pair that he’s the one they should turn to if and when the axe falls on Perez.

“There’s always feedback from both Christian and from Dr. Marko. They’ve had a big role in my current situation and my future as well.

“They always give feedback after each weekend, it’s mostly very brief and simple. It’s more or less saying I’m doing a good job, but to keep moving forward.

“The expectation from them is high, that’s why they put me in the car. We’re fighting for sixth in the Constructors’.

“The target is clear from what they expect from us, to score points and fight for sixth.”

Lawson has impressed during his three races so far, scoring ninth places in the USA and Brazil, whilst also courting some internal controversy after colliding gently with Perez in Mexico.

The outspoken Kiwi also made headlines early this week as he said it’s “bullsh*t” that McLaren uses the British national anthem on the podium, rather than nodding to its New Zealand heritage.

Team founder Bruce McLaren was one of New Zealand’s proudest sons in motorsport, dating back to 1963 before entering F1 in ’66. McLaren himself was killed at the wheel of a McLaren sportscar in 1970, while his eponymous team has gone on to become one of the sport’s behemoths – largely due to the organisational changes made by Ron Dennis in the early 1980s.

McLaren’s national anthem for race victories is the UK’s God Save the King, as it races under a British licence, but Lawson believes McLaren should honour its founder more than its base country.

Today, McLaren Racing is two-thirds owned by McLaren Group, which itself is fully owned by Mumtalakat Holding Company, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, with the remainder owned by US investment firm MSP Sports Capital.

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