Despite learning that the Red Bull machinery requires an extreme amount of confidence to drive, Liam Lawson puts Max Verstappen sending teammates packing down to ability.

Verstappen has developed the reputation of a Red Bull teammate destroyer over recent years, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez most recently all departing the team after struggling to keep their head above water under the pressure alongside Verstappen.

Max Verstappen ‘best in the world right now’

Next to step up to the plate and take on the Verstappen challenge will be Liam Lawson, who after contesting 11 grands prix across two stand-in stints with the Red Bull B-team, steps up to the main outfit from F1 2025 after Perez’s departure.

And in an interview with Sky F1, Lawson – who also spent the last three seasons as Red Bull’s test and reserve driver – was asked directly why he believes Gasly, Albon and Perez all experienced their respective struggles up against Verstappen?

“I’ve driven the car over the last couple of years and done tests, and I can say the car is very aggressive and it takes a lot of confidence to drive it, honestly,” he replied.

“And I think that’s where Max is obviously extremely confident as a driver.

“But, the main thing is just he’s the best in the world right now, so to go up against the best guy, is always going to be very, very tough.

“And ultimately, that’s probably the main reason that anybody has struggled so far to go up against him.”

When discussing the teammate killer that is Verstappen, the term ‘driving style’ has often come up, with Perez suggesting in F1 2024 that the “style of Max” meant he suffered less during Red Bull’s mid-season drop-off as he was “less sensitive to the issues”.

However, Lawson is not convinced when it comes to the whole driving style debate in Formula 1.

“In terms of driving styles, I don’t really know if I believe in it so much in terms of a driving style,” Lawson told PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher.

“I think you have certain things you like a car to do but I think also, for me, I spent a lot of time developing that car as well, as a junior and as a reserve for the last couple of years, and I feel like I understand quite well the way the car drives.

“But I also don’t fully believe in ‘This doesn’t suit your driving style’.

“I think as drivers, we’re professionals, we have to adapt to whatever we’re driving.”

With Lawson stepping up to Red Bull, Isack Hadjar has been promoted from Formula 2 – off the back of finishing runner-up in the 2024 championship – to partner Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls.