Liam Lawson reveals emotional family sacrifice behind his F1 rise

Credit for photo: Red Bull Content Pool — Photo: © IMAGO

Latest F1 News

Liam Lawson reveals emotional family sacrifice behind his F1 rise

To make it to F1, young racers and their families give up everything

By Kerry Violet.

Thursday 25 June 2026 19:00

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has spoken candidly about the personal sacrifices his family made to help him reach Formula 1, highlighting the impact his motorsport ambitions had on those closest to him.

Reflecting on his path to the pinnacle of racing, the New Zealander shared a particularly emotional memory involving his younger brother, illustrating the challenges his family faced while supporting his career.

During an appearance on the High Performance Podcast, Lawson admitted that the commitment shown by his parents and siblings remains something he thinks about often, even now that he has achieved his dream of competing in Formula 1.

Article continues under video

Reflecting on his childhood and the cost of reaching the pinnacle of motorsport, Lawson recalled a story of how his parents had uncovered an old note written by his brother when he was just five or six years old.

The message struck a deep chord with the star of Red Bull's junior team, telling podcast host Jake Humphrey: "My parents found this card recently that my brother had written my Dad... the card was: 'Dear Dad, if I like racing, will you spend more time with me like Liam?'"

Lawson thanks siblings for 'giving up' childhood

"My siblings and family have just given up so much—never going on holiday, never doing anything... I have an amazing family so..."

Humphrey then asked Lawson what he said to his brother when he saw the note, to which the Racing Bulls driver replied: "Sorry man. He now looks at it and laughs and thinks it's funny... but I think back to every single weekend being away."

Although his brother can now laugh about it, the realisation that his success came at the expense of precious family moments remains a bitter pill for Lawson to swallow.

Beyond affecting his family, Lawson spoke frankly about the personal toll that such a demanding sport has taken on his mental wellbeing.

When asked what the sport has cost him personally, his response was straightforward. "Probably just happiness. People probably think you're a lot happier because of the position I'm in...I have happy moments for sure, it's not that I'm not happy all the time but yeah, overall in life at the moment," he explained.

The relentless pressure of Formula 1 combined with the cut-throat politics within the Red Bull program have undoubtedly left their mark on the young driver.

To escape the harsh realities and the constant swirl of rumours in the paddock, Lawson has taken drastic measures to maintain his focus.

He now brings his guitar to each grand prix weekend for some much-needed calm and has muted all his F1-related social media accounts to avoid toxic feedback and distractions.

F1 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls