VCARB Confirms Liam Lawson Replacement For 2025 As Another Rookie Joins Grid

Saajan Jogia | Dec 20, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team driver Yuki Tsunoda (22) of Team Japan drives during the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Red Bull's junior team VCARB has announced that Formula 2 championship runner-up Isack Hadjar will replace Liam Lawson for the 2025 season alongside Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson, who raced for VCARB following Daniel Ricciardo's exit in Singapore, was promoted to Red Bull yesterday.

The Milton Keynes outfit has finalized the driver lineups for both teams after a challenging Formula 1 season. It announced the departure of Sergio Perez yesterday, who Lawson will replace. Hadjar proved his worth in F2, in addition to impressive free practice runs in the premier class. His most recent run in Red Bull's RB20 F1 car in the post-season test likely sealed the deal for the 20-year-old driver. Speaking on his new role in F1, Hadjar said in a statement:

“I’m very excited to step into my new role at VCARB, this is huge for myself, my family and all the people who have believed in me from the beginning. The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula One is the moment I’ve been working towards my whole life, it is the dream.

"I feel like I’m stepping into a whole new universe, driving a much faster car and racing with the best drivers in the world. It’ll be a huge learning curve, but I’m ready to work hard and do the best I can for the team. I look forward to working with and learning from Yuki, I’ve always looked up to him, he went through the Red Bull Junior Program, like myself, and we’ve shared a similar path to F1. He’s very experienced and will be good to learn from.”

VCARB team principal Laurent Mekies said:

“We’re excited to have Isack with us next year, bringing a new and fresh dynamic to the team alongside Yuki in 2025. His journey to Formula One has been nothing short of outstanding, he has shown remarkable growth, with a series of impressive results in the junior single-seater ranks. He has the talent and drive necessary to compete at the highest level, and we have every confidence that he will adapt quickly and make a significant impact. I believe Isack and Yuki will make a great team. Yuki brings invaluable experience to the team, he’s shown incredible resilience and maturity, which will be crucial for the team as we strive to hit all our aims and objectives in 2025.”

CEO of VCARB, Peter Bayer added:

“Firstly, we must congratulate Liam for his step up to Oracle Red Bull Racing. As a sister team and as an incubator for Formula One talent, our strategic objective is to foster and nurture our drivers in preparation for this next step. With this move and by bringing Isack into VCARB, it’s a testament to our longstanding commitment to develop the best young drivers in motorsport, as well as proof of concept of the Red Bull Junior Program. Having a younger driver supports our mission to speak to a younger audience, so we look forward to bringing new and existing fans on the journey with us.”