Liam Lawson attends the NASCAR Cup Series championship race in Phoenix 

Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson was among the familiar faces in the NASCAR Cup Series garage on Sunday, attending the 2025 championship race at Phoenix Raceway. The Kiwi racer, who competes for Racing Bulls, was spotted alongside Red Bull athlete Connor Zilisch on the grid ahead of the season finale.

As four NASCAR stars - William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin - prepared to battle for the Cup Series crown, Lawson was seen mingling with the Red Bull personnel in the paddock area. Motorsport shared the sighting on X, writing:

“Liam Lawson is at Phoenix Raceway to take in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race!”

For Liam Lawson, the weekend offered a timely pause. His last F1 outing at the Mexico City Grand Prix ended in frustration after a fifth DNF of the season. It has left his immediate future within the Red Bull system uncertain. With four rounds remaining in the 2025 Formula 1 calendar, beginning next week in Brazil, the break provided him a chance to reset before what could be a defining run of races.

The 23-year-old’s year began with high expectations but quickly turned challenging. After two races with Red Bull’s senior team, Lawson was moved back to the sister outfit, Racing Bulls, where rookie teammate Isack Hadjar has since outperformed him this season.

But with Arvid Lindblad in line for promotion and Hadjar linked to a potential Red Bull drive alongside Max Verstappen, the competition within the Red Bull ecosystem has tightened considerably. That dynamic has naturally sparked speculation about Lawson’s long-term options, including a possible shift to American racing should his F1 path narrow.

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When Liam Lawson said, “I would love to do a race” in NASCAR

Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls before the F1 Grand Prix of the United States. Source: Getty

Sunday’s appearance wasn’t Liam Lawson’s first brush with stock car racing. Back in March, he had the opportunity to experience NASCAR machinery firsthand through Ford Performance, which is collaborating with Red Bull Powertrains on its 2026 Formula 1 power unit.

During a visit to the Ford Performance Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina, Lawson met Cup Series driver Noah Gragson and turned laps in Ford’s high-tech simulator. The two also reunited at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a joint filming session before Lawson got his virtual NASCAR debut, testing himself against a digital Ford Mustang at COTA.

Despite being new to stock car physics, Lawson impressed by turning a 2-minute, 15-second lap, only six seconds off the back of the Cup grid pace from 2024. Lawson later simulated at Bristol Motor Speedway, and said post-session, via Newsweek:

“Dude, I would love to do a race. Yeah, 100 per cent.”

That enthusiasm, combined with Red Bull’s ongoing technical ties to Ford and Liam Lawson’s hands-on curiosity for other disciplines, makes his Phoenix appearance intriguing.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam