The New Zealander will step into the car previously filled by Sergio Perez as teammate to Max Verstappen for the coming season.

Lawson was given the nod for the drive over Racing Bulls colleague Yuki Tsunoda in the days following last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Following the whirlwind end to the 2024 F1 season, Lawson spent time at home in New Zealand during the European winter.

He’s since returned to the United Kingdom to formally begin work with his new team.

That included a visit to the squad’s factory where he underwent a seat fitting for the RB21 he’ll pilot this year.

“Honestly, just seeing everybody, seeing the whole team again,” Lawson said of the highlight of his return in a video posted to social media.

“It’s not a new team for me because I’ve been here for quite a few years as a junior and then being a reserve.

“It’s just cool to see everyone I’ve been working with for a few years.

“Now, to be an official driver, that’s exciting, being with everybody… I did the seat fit today.”

Red Bull heads into the coming season one of a group of teams expected to challenge for both race wins and the world championship.

Verstappen won his fourth drivers’ title last year, but his team slipped to third in the constructors’ championship, not helped by Perez’s struggles.

However, it was also apparent that, for much of the final third of the season, the Red Bull was also an inferior car to both the McLaren and Ferrari.

Mercedes, too, showed flashes of pace in the right circumstances, leading to the possibility of four teams fighting over the world title in 2025.

That remains to be seen, though Lawson’s seat fitting is an important early milestone for the squad as it works to complete the build of its RB21s ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain next month.