Racing Bulls F1 driver took the wheel of a Ford Puma Rally1 with Josh McErlean alongside on Goodwood's forest stage
Words by Alasdair Lindsay, Head of Digital Strategy
Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has taken the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 during the Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking on the Forest Rally Stage with regular M-Sport driver Josh McErlean in the co-driver’s seat.
Lawson’s turn at the wheel of World Rally Championship machinery was part of a filming activity for Red Bull, the parent organisation of the Racing Bulls team he competes for in Formula 1.
He conducted several runs of the twisty, technical mixed-surface stage, with McErlean providing guidance throughout.
“Growing up in New Zealand, rally is very popular,” Lawson told DirtFish. “I’ve never had the chance [to drive one], so I was very nervous to jump straight in this car. But it was such an incredible experience.”
“I was battling, hitting a couple of banks and things and trying to keep the thing straight. Probably too straight, to be honest!”
McErlean was impressed by Lawson’s rate of learning on his sole morning driving the Puma, saying he’d adapted very quickly.
“He’s been proper, honestly,” said McErlean. “To jump into this car for the first time, to even drive it, to know where you’re pulling gears, to know where the handbrake is, it’s a daunting experience to jump into any rally car but this car, this caliber, the amount of people about on one of the most famous stages in the world with the all the media…”
How fast Lawson would be with a proper test remains unclear. But McErlean suggested that even on the Goodwood demo stage, Lawson was already looking good on the timesheets.
“His times were seriously close on the last run,” said McErlean. “A Formula 1 driver, you have to expect they didn’t get there for not driving well. I knew he was going to be quick but it’s the rate of learning: you’re telling him to do something and he’s nailing it the next run.”
McErlean help Lawson get up to speed while traversing Goodwood's forest stage
For McErlean the experience was also somewhat surreal. Though co-driving is nothing new to him, sitting alongside Lawson was a reminder of how quickly his rally career has progressed in the last 12 months.
“I’ve done some co-driving and this stage is not so fast either, so the consequences aren’t so high,” he said
“But a big thanks to Red Bull, WRC and M-Sport for making it happen because this time last year I’d never have thought I’d be showing a Formula 1 driver how to drive a Rally1 car!”
Tags: goodwood festival of speed, Josh McErlean, Liam Lawson, M-Sport
Publish Date July 10, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/07/z55sCs44-2025.07.10.LawsonGWFOS-780x520.jpg July 10, 2025
Up Next
