Liam Lawson just got his first taste of Red Bull machinery in 2025, though not in the team’s newest car. The young Kiwi driver took the wheel of last year’s dominant RB19 at Spain’s Jerez circuit.
Red Bull is playing it close to the chest with their new RB21. They’re keeping the car under wraps until February 25th – just one day before winter testing kicks off in Bahrain.
It’s a smart move by the championship-winning team to let their reserve driver get comfortable in F1 machinery. Jerez has been a busy track this winter, with several teams using the Spanish circuit for testing.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen hasn’t gotten behind the wheel of any Red Bull car yet this year. The four-time world champion will have to wait until tomorrow’s shakedown in Bahrain to try out the new RB21.
The testing schedule is already mapped out:
- Verstappen takes Wednesday morning
- Lawson jumps in for Wednesday afternoon
- Thursday is all Verstappen
- Lawson wraps things up on Friday
It’s a big opportunity for Lawson, who’s been impressive in his reserve driver role. Getting seat time in the mighty RB19 – the car that dominated last season – is pretty valuable experience.
The real excitement comes tomorrow, though. That’s when we’ll finally see what Red Bull has come up with for 2025. Will they keep their edge over Ferrari and Mercedes?
