Liam Lawson addresses talks with Red Bull rivals before RB promotion at US Grand Prix

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Liam Lawson has been given the opportunity to impress at RB during the final six race weekends of the season in Formula 1.

The New Zealander is replacing Daniel Ricciardo after he struggled to deliver results consistently and left the team after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Lawson has already proven he can race in F1, competing at five events for AlphaTauri last season and looking composed among the chaos of the midfield.

The RB driver is a contender to earn a full-time seat in Formula 1 next season, as there is a vacancy in the Italian team alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

If Lawson were to impress towards the end of the season, he would likely step into the car for the entire season next year. He may also have a chance to race for Red Bull if Sergio Perez keeps underdelivering and costing the team points.

RB’s new driver is very highly rated and has proven he is a capable Formula 1 driver, and he explained to Sky Sports F1 how he assessed his options before signing for the team.

Liam Lawson explained he spent time ‘getting to know everybody else’ before signing with RB

Lawson has been impressive every time he has raced in Formula 1 and is building confidence ahead of his six-race stint to end the year, starting with the United States Grand Prix.

There are teams on the grid looking for a driver for the 2025 season, such as Sauber who need a teammate for Nico Hulkenberg.

READ MORE: RB boss Laurent Mekies shares the unusual thing Liam Lawson did in the garage at US Grand Prix

Lawson is under pressure to deliver as the Red Bull programme is very harsh and has dropped drivers in the middle of a season in recent years.

There are also junior drivers such as Isack Hadjar waiting for an opportunity to race in F1, if Lawson were to underperform. However, he is also focusing on the Formula 2 title fight with two rounds to go.

He explained he wanted to keep his options open, but ultimately, the 22-year-old wanted to stay with Red Bull, and he was also with their junior team for a long time.

“I knew I had a date that I couldn’t go anywhere else anyway,” he said. “So basically, I spent time getting to know everybody else just to make sure because obviously… I just wanted to make sure that I had all options covered.

“I would have kicked myself if I didn’t get the seat and then I didn’t explore all options. But at the end of the day, I always wanted to be with Red Bull. I wanted to… I’ve always wanted to drive with this team. So I was hoping that they would do what they’ve done.”

Liam Lawson has a difficult task at RB over the final six rounds of the season

Lawson is under pressure to deliver consistent results at RB and beat his teammate Tsunoda at the end of the year.

He hadn’t raced at Circuit of the Americas before the F1 weekend and he is having to deal with the Sprint weekend’s sole practice session.

The New Zealander is also having to adjust to the RB car after not racing for 12 months, while the rest of the field are much sharper.

He has proven he can adapt well and will have to learn multiple new circuits over the next few rounds, with limited track time.