Liam Lawson has been confirmed as Sergio Perez’s replacement at Red Bull, beating out Yuki Tsunoda in the battle for an internal promotion.

The young New Zealander now faces the daunting task of teaming up with four-time world champion Max Verstappen in 2025 despite having just 11 Grand Prix starts under his belt.

“To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver is a lifelong dream for me,” Lawson said on Thursday. “This is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old.

“It’s been an incredible journey so far. I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team at VCARB for their support, the last six races have played a huge part in my preparation for this next step.

“I also want to thank, Christian [Horner], Helmut [Marko] and the whole Red Bull family for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.

“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!”

This decision will come as a brutal blow to Tsunoda, who outqualified Lawson 6-0 during the 2024 campaign and dominated Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo beforehand. The Japanese racer will have to settle for another season with VCARB in 2025.

“Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls have demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but that he’s also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top,” said team principal Horner.

“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.

“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.”