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Red Bull Racing has confirmed Lawson’s promotion from RB in place of the now departed Perez.
The New Zealander emerged as favourite for the drive despite opposition from Yuki Tsunoda and, briefly, Franco Colapinto as Perez struggled for form.
Lawson’s appointment comes just 11 races into his F1 career, split across two seasons, following his debut at last year’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Most recently, he completed the final six races of F1 2024 in place of Daniel Ricciardo at RB.
There, he went head-to-head with Tsunoda for the prize seat alongside Verstappen for next season.
“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,” said Lawson.
“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!”
Horner added: “I’m delighted to announce that Liam Lawson will join the team 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.
“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.”
Red Bull Racing was placed in a difficult position in F1 2024 as Perez failed to deliver.
Though he started strongly, his championship went off the rails following the Chinese Grand Prix.
His dip in form had a significant impact on the team as its constructors’ championship advantage was eroded to the point it finished third.
Promoting Lawson is a show of faith in the young Kiwi, who has graduated through Red Bull’s junior driver program.
Having been picked up out of the Toyota Racing Series, he was a race winner in F3 and F2 and went close to claiming the Super Formula title on debut last season.
That came as he dovetailed those commitments into a five-race cameo in place of the injured Ricciardo.
It was that opportunity that catapulted Lawson into contention for a race drive with impressive performances in difficult circumstances, including points for ninth place in the F1 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, AlphaTauri’s best result of the season to that point.
Lawson’s name was absent from the recently release FIA F1 entry list with the second Racing Bulls seat listed as TBC alongside Yuki Tsunoda, while Perez featured in the second Red Bull entry.
It is expected Isack Hadjar will join Tsunoda for F1 2025 to complete the 20 driver field.
