Lawson has joined Red Bull this year after being promoted in place of Sergio Perez following the conclusion of the 2024 season.

He steps up with just 11 grand prix starts under his belt, split across two seasons with AlphaTauri/RB.

Last year, the New Zealander was parachuted into the drive following the Singapore Grand Prix, while in 2023 his five-event stint started from the Dutch GP.

The three days of testing in Bahrain last month marked the first time he’d completed an F1 pre-season.

“Myself and the team have prepared a lot for the season which has been great,” Lawson said.

“It’s been my first official pre-season in Formula 1, so it’s nice to bring all the hard work we’ve done into Melbourne for this weekend.

This weekend’s event marks the first time the New Zealander has raced in Australia since his days in Formula 4.

His junior career saw him competing in Super Formula when F2 made its Albert Park debut in 2023, and was Red Bull and RB reserve driver this time a year ago.

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix – Start time, how to watch, TV times & more

“It’s obviously really exciting to get the season underway and, of course, have my first Australian Grand Prix,” Lawson said.

“It’s close to home, so it feels like a home race for me.

“I’m looking forward to my first weekend with the team,” he added.

“It’ll be my first weekend in Melbourne as well, so there’s a lot to look forward too.”

Red Bull heads into this weekend’s race among the favourites following testing last month.

While McLaren looked the class of the field during the three days in Bahrain, the Milton Keynes operation was firmly among the top four teams.

For Lawson, it’s about easing his way into the season with his new squad.

“The simulator work we’ve done has been really important, but also the time I’ve spent with the engineers over the winter,” he added.

“It’s a new crew for me, so I wanted to build relationships with the team ahead of the start of the campaign.”

F1 action in Albert Park begins on Friday with two practice sessions, the first from 12:30 AEDT.