Lawson’s karting debut: from complicated times to F1
With a family outside motorsport, Liam Lawson's early racing career was complex: between disappointing results and lack of financial means, his family had to make many sacrifices to enable him to prove himself. He was lucky enough to find good sponsors who guided him through the early stages of his career.
In an interview given to GQ, Liam Lawson, a full-time driver at Red Bull Racing, described the beginning of his career in motorsport.
A family far from the world of motor sports
A number of current F1 drivers have benefited from the influence or advice of relatives familiar with motorsport. This is the case, for example, of Carlos Sainz Jr, whose father still competes in rally, Max Verstappen, with Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver who is always present in the paddock, or Lance Stroll, whose father outright owns the team for which he drives.
But a shared passion
His father, Jared, worked in freight transport. When he watched Supercar and Formula 1 races on TV, Liam joined him: “I watched them with him because I was obsessed with cars,” Lawson says. However, he was far from the only boy his age in that situation. In fact, “Most of the kids I grew up with were as well. New Zealand actually has quite a dynamic karting community — when our best drivers go abroad to compete in America or Europe, they often do very well. But many kids got into karting thanks to their parents, or because their father raced. And even though my dad watched the races, he wasn’t a true fan. It was actually my best friend from kindergarten who made me want to do it. I saw him race when he was five, and that’s when I knew I had to do it too.” Thus, the passion for motorsport did not come from family but from the circle of friends.
Complicated beginnings in karting
Liam Lawson started karting at seven years old. During that first season, his results were disastrous: he finished every race in last place. “I wasn’t even close to the others,” he insists. “I was just driving in the background while everyone else sped away from me.” Lawson was certain that his kart was to blame for these poor results. “I think I complained to my father about my kart for more than a year,” he explains, before clarifying: “I told him the engine was rubbish, but he secretly thought I was the one who was rubbish. Eventually, he got tired of hearing me whine and bought two good engines. We installed them for the first time at a major race.” This change quickly made an impact: “And then, we secured pole position. From that moment on, we started racing at the front. It was a decisive turning point, the moment when karting became serious. It always was for me. But for my father, everything changed that weekend.” And indeed, that’s when his father realized his son was right: he was perfectly capable of winning if he had the material means to do so.
Huge sacrifices
But this revelation involved significant financial sacrifices in order to be able to provide his son with the material means he needed to thrive in motorsport. And that’s how Lawson’s parents sold their house. And they still haven’t been able to buy another one: « They still don’t have a house ». « Because of me », laments Liam Lawson.
This sacrifice was not even enough to ensure Lawson’s future beyond karting. The intervention of sponsors was necessary. The beginnings of my career would not have been possible without the sponsors. I met an incredible man who devoted all his time to finding sponsors for me—he would approach companies and, in a way, sell me as a driver. He considers himself very, very lucky to have made the right connections at the start of his career.
Today, Lawson is still very grateful to those who helped him. Especially now that he has reached F1. « I owe a lot to my parents, my siblings, and the people who surrounded me. So many wonderful people made huge sacrifices—people who wanted to see a New Zealander in F1. I was just lucky they chose me. »
