Liam Lawson, the 24-year-old New Zealand Formula 1 driver currently competing for Racing Bulls, is stepping away from the paddock and onto the stage to perform live as a country singer and guitarist during the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin.
As the racing world descends on the Circuit of the Americas, the Faenza-based constructor has organized a live music showcase dubbed the Garage Session. While the event is designed to spotlight emerging musical artists, the lineup features the driver himself taking the microphone alongside his touring band, Liam Lawson & Friends.
The Bottom Line
- The Dual Threat: Lawson will headline a live music set on Thursday, October 22, 2026, performing country tracks alongside his brother Marcus and childhood friends Thomas and Harrison.
- Current Standing: The New Zealander enters the Austin race weekend sitting ninth in the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship standings with 75 points.
- The Career Arc: After rising through international junior categories—from dominant karting and Formula Ford stints in New Zealand and Australia to European F4, F3, and F2 campaigns—Lawson secured a permanent seat after impressive substitute drives for AlphaTauri and a stint within the Red Bull Racing ecosystem.
From the Karting Tracks of Hastings to the European Single-Seaters
Born in Hastings, New Zealand, Lawson’s motorsport trajectory began in karting before moving rapidly into single-seaters at age 13, where he secured immediate victories in Formula First and Formula Ford. Quattroruote.it notes his comprehensive domestic dominance in 2016, where he captured 14 wins out of 15 races in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship to become the division’s youngest champion.
Liam Lawson, 2026 World Drivers' Champion. You heard it here first 😎 pic.twitter.com/jqGqs2fdLO
A relocation to Australia brought a runner-up finish in the Australian Formula 4 championship before a pivotal European campaign in 2018. Driving for Van Amersfoort Racing, Lawson finished as runner-up in the ADAC Formula 4 series. Subsequent seasons included dual campaigns in Euro Formula Open and FIA Formula 3 in 2019, followed by multi-year runs in FIA Formula 2 with Hitech GP and Carlin, alongside DTM appearances in a Red Bull-liveried Ferrari 488 GT3.
| Career Milestone | Series / Team | Key Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | NZ Formula Ford | Youngest champion (14 wins in 15 races) |
| 2018 | ADAC Formula 4 | Vice-champion with Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 2023-2024 | Formula 1 (Reserve / Sub) | Scored points filling in for AlphaTauri and Racing Bulls |
| 2025-2026 | Formula 1 (Racing Bulls) | Ninth in world championship with 75 points |
Stepping Into the F1 Paddock and the Austin Garage Session
The global audience caught its first sustained look at Lawson in 2023 when he stepped in at short notice for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. After further reserve duties and sporadic appearances through 2024, he secured a full-time seat within the Red Bull family, experiencing a brief promotion to Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen in early 2025 before returning to the Faenza squad.
Sport.sky.it highlights that Lawson currently holds the ninth position in the drivers’ standings with 75 points, establishing himself firmly behind the sport’s four dominant constructor squads. His recent Grand Prix results include seventh-place finishes in both Bahrain and Singapore, bringing his career total to 52 Grand Prix starts without a podium or pole position.
Now, his focus pivots temporarily to Austin’s Garage Session. Speaking to Racing Bulls team channels regarding the upcoming performance, Lawson admitted the psychological toll of live performance outweighs the cockpit. Sport.sky.it reported his remarks: Direi che guidare un’auto da corsa è molto più facile. Non sono minimamente nervoso prima di una gara come lo sono per questa prestazione. Entrambe sono situazioni ad alta pressione. È una di quelle situazioni in cui non ci si sente mai completamente preparati. Si può sempre fare di più, ma il mio lavoro è talmente specifico che è difficile trovare il tempo. Sono emozionato, ma anche molto, molto nervoso. Avere con me mio fratello e gli amici d’infanzia, con cui gioco da quando avevo otto anni, è davvero fantastico.
Musical Influences and Family Roots in Country and Rock
Lawson’s foray into music is rooted in childhood exposure to classic rock and acoustic arrangements. The driver’s band, Liam Lawson & Friends, features his brother Marcus alongside childhood acquaintances Thomas and Harrison.
Describing his artistic preferences to team channels, Lawson pointed to country music as his preferred genre for its communal campfire atmosphere and accessible guitar arrangements. His introduction to live performance came early, as sport.sky.it noted he attended a Def Leppard concert at eight or nine years old after successfully completing a guitar examination for his father. Alongside classic rock from the 1980s, Lawson cited singer-songwriter John Mayer as a primary musical inspiration.
As Thursday evening approaches in Texas, the New Zealander will trade his racing helmet for a guitar strap, balancing the high-stakes engineering environment of the Formula 1 paddock with an unscripted live music debut.
