Formula 1’s Liam Lawson reveals huge sacrifice parents made for his racing career

Liam Lawson didn’t have the best experience in the starting race for the 2025 Formula 1 championship. The New Zealand-born driver was eliminated in the first part of qualifying, and his race came to an early end after a crash on lap 46.

However, the star has experienced a rags-to-riches story, with the athlete revealing in an interview with GQ that his parents, Jared and Kirsty, sold their family home in order to help finance his motor racing career. Speaking to the publication, Liam confessed: “They still don’t own a house because of me.”

He added: “I owe so much to my parents and my siblings and the people around me. So many good people sacrificed so much — people who wanted to see a New Zealander driving in F1. I’m just lucky they picked me.”

Financing a career in the industry is incredibly hard, with money put towards travelling costs as well as machinery before drivers really make it. “I think I complained to my dad for more than a year about my kart” Liam explained.

“I’d tell him that the engine sucked, but he just secretly thought that I sucked. Eventually, he got sick of me whining and bought two good engines, and we put them on for the first time at this big race. And when we went out, we qualified first. We started racing at the front all the time.

“That was the definitive moment, when karting became serious. It was always serious to me. But for my dad, everything changed that one weekend.”

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Reflecting on his childhood in Clarks Beach, the star said: “As a kid, I spent a lot of time outside, running around the forest or along the beach.”

Away from the sport, Liam is dating Hannah St. John, who appears to be an influencer; she graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in biomedical sciences.

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The pair regularly share loved-up photos, including from concerts, sports events, and romantic date nights. Speaking of his newfound interest in American football, Liam quipped: “My girlfriend’s brother loves the Chiefs. I think I’m a Chiefs fan.”