D'Arcy Waldegrave on Liam Lawson's F1 opportunity and what lead him to this moment

In what will be my last structured rant of 2024, I'll finish on a high. That high is Liam Lawson. He is following in the footsteps of NZ F1 greats such as Hulme, McLaren and Amon. He is the 10th Kiwi to breathe the rarefied air of Formula 1 and this week he inhaled the deepest breath of all. The news on Thursday night that the young man raised in Pukekohe had secured a Red Bull contract for 2025, racing for one of the best teams in Formula One, is still sinking in. After many years of battling through the categories on his way to the Everest of the sport, life just got a whole lot tougher. From karts to Formula First, through the Toyota Racing Series, Formula 3, the DTM and Formula 2 and some tantalising tastes of Formula 1 through the Racing Bulls team, this hot shoe has steadfastly kept his eyes locked on the prize. Now, after a drawn out and at times frustrating final run at a permanent seat, he's struck gold. Liam Lawson has arrived. He's ruffled feathers along the way, proving to many that his attitude and race craft is that of a Formula 1 pilot. Accusations of a lack of respect for the veterans of the sport have been met with measured aggression, a refusal to acquiesce to the insanity of an experience based hierarchy. He races with his elbows out, knowing that respect in motorsport comes when you beat the other guy fair and square. Names, teams and reputation mean bugger all. Liam is a pure racer, and that's what has taken him this far. He's at base camp now, this is where his years of toil and his bloody-minded attitude to the sport will need to be concentrated further for his final assault on the summit. Getting a seat in F1 is one thing, getting a seat in one of the top teams partnering the 4 times reigning champion Max Verstappen is another, but holding on to that seat and being instrumental in Red Bulls return to the constructor's championship, that's the  greatest step he needs to take. Beyond that? It's not worth thinking about. His entire life has been focused on this one opportunity. As difficult as the lead up has been to securing this incredibly rare role, it's been nothing compared to what he faces now. Formula 1 is immense. It's tied together by billions of dollars. The world is watching as the most insane sporting circus on the planet blasts through almost every continent. There is nowhere to hide. There are no excuses. For a kid from Aotearoa, whose parents sold their house to pay for what was essentially a pipe dream of a petrol head youngster, this is one of the most outstanding stories in New Zealand sport. It's had peaks and troughs;it's been many years in the making and now is the time to shine. The real work starts now. And I am so here for it. That'll do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.