Is Liam Lawson the F1 driver Red Bull needs? Our writers debate

Liam Lawson will race in the US Grand Prix next month after replacing Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull’s sister Formula 1 team RB.

It won’t be the first time the Kiwi competes in F1 but, on this occasion, it’s not just as a stand-in, and his arrival is seen as a test for Red Bull to find out if it has the right man for the future.

So is Lawson the driver Red Bull currently needs? Our writers debate. 

Only time will tell – Filip Cleeren

The honest but boring answer is that the proof will be in the pudding, but I think there are certain cues that should provide Red Bull with some optimism about how far Lawson can go.

Every single driver on the current Formula 1 grid can be fast on their day, but that is not what Red Bull is looking for. Daniel Ricciardo showed flashes of pace, and so does Sergio Perez, but neither has been consistent enough across the board. It cost Ricciardo his chance to replace Perez in the first place, but the Mexican may still lose his seat as well.

So, what Red Bull really needs is someone who can pair a natural turn of speed with the adaptability to drive around car handling limitations, and the ability to cope with the pressure of fighting for wins at the front against arguably the most difficult team-mate you could wish to have in Max Verstappen.

For promising talents at the start of their F1 careers that can be a poisoned chalice, just ask Alex Albon or Pierre Gasly, but we have seen indications that Lawson is up for the challenge.

Firstly, there is the way he jumped into Ricciardo’s car at Zandvoort last year, from a wet Saturday practice onwards. He didn’t set the world alight on that first weekend, nor could he have been expected to on such short notice, but he immediately showed the steel to deal with the occasion.

His five-race cameo then went crescendo with a commendable ninth-place finish on the tough streets of Singapore, which seems to be the weekend that really impressed Christian Horner and Helmut Marko the most. Then came an evaluation drive this summer at Monza with the 2022 AlphaTauri, which is understood to have been another high-pressure stress test that Lawson passed with flying colours.

Pair that with the patience and maturity the 22-year-old has shown since having to step back into a reserve role, and Lawson has done everything Red Bull has asked of him so far. He appears to have the ability and mindset to keep…