Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson is trading his racing helmet for a guitar strap this month, launching a signature acoustic instrument and performing live at a satellite event ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The Racing Bulls driver will debut his custom Taylor Guitars LL30 GS Mini special edition at the team's Garage Sessions event, set for Thursday, October 22, at Inn Cahoots on Austin's East 6th Street.
According to The Race, the guitar carries a pink-to-white ombre finish with Lawson's racing number 30 placed at its center. Beyond that cosmetic touch, the instrument also features pink dot bridge pins and Lawson's signature cartoon helmet logo engraved on the truss rod cover, according to Racing Bulls. The design places Lawson's racing number on the pickguard, while helmet imagery appears inside the guitar body.
A Childhood Hobby Turned Paddock Ritual
Lawson has loved music since childhood, and his father encouraged him and his brother to start playing at age six, per the same account from The Race. That early foundation has carried into his racing career: Lawson revealed on the High Performance podcast that he brings an acoustic guitar to every Grand Prix weekend as a way to disconnect from racing pressure and the noise of paddock life.
“I feel very proud to be launching my partnership with Taylor Guitars at Garage Sessions,” Lawson said, according to the outlet's reporting. “I use it to clear my head during the season.” He added that performing at the event gives him a chance to connect with fans away from the track.
Family And Friends Join Him Onstage
Lawson will perform alongside his brother and two close childhood friends at Garage Sessions, joining a lineup that also includes Jonathan Capeci, Scoot Teasley, Jess Farren, Alison Nichols, and Drake Milligan. The night builds from the Esses Bazaar, which starts at 3 p.m. and includes live music, food, Western wear, glam stations, tattoos, and a chance for fans to photograph the team's show car. Garage Sessions itself kicks off at 7 p.m. at the same East 6th Street venue.
The event marks the latest installment of a series Racing Bulls has run at race weekends in Australia and Las Vegas, pairing emerging local artists with Formula 1 fan activations, per Racing Bulls. The team said Garage Sessions gives fans another reason to be excited about Austin. It's worth noting this is an off-site satellite activation rather than a performance on an official Circuit of The Americas stage.
Why F1 Teams Are Betting Big On Lifestyle Events
The push toward music and culture programming reflects a broader shift in Formula 1's American fanbase. A 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey found that 47% of new U.S. fans who have followed the sport for five years or less are between 18 and 24 years old, and over half are female, according to Formula 1. The sport's total U.S. fanbase reached 52 million in 2025 after growing 11% year-over-year, the same report found. As that audience skews younger and more diverse, teams like Racing Bulls are using off-track events to engage fans beyond sports broadcasting.
Garage Sessions unfolds inside a much larger entertainment weekend. Formula 1 confirmed in October 2025 a long-term contract extension keeping Circuit of The Americas on the global calendar through 2034, cementing Austin's status as the sport's longest-tenured active U.S. venue. The track has hosted the race continuously since 2012 and generated $7 billion in regional economic impact during its first decade. The 2026 race weekend at COTA runs October 23 through 26, opening with fan preview activities before official track practice begins Friday.
Big Names, Bigger Crowds
The U.S. Grand Prix now draws over 430,000 spectators and generated more than $1 billion in direct and indirect expenditure during the 2023 Grand Prix, a dramatic jump from the $434 million in direct spending calculated for the 2021 race. Hoodline previously reported that Maroon 5 and Post Malone will headline the Germania Insurance Super Stage concerts at COTA on Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24, respectively, giving fans access with standard race admission tickets alongside off-site shows like Lawson's.
Lawson made his Formula 1 debut as a stand-in driver for AlphaTauri at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, stepping in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo before earning his first F1 points with a ninth-place finish in Singapore that same season. He is a Racing Bulls driver. The GS Mini series he's putting his name to is one of Taylor's most popular compact acoustic guitars. Whether the LL30 edition will reach retail shelves for fans to buy, or remain a promotional release tied to the partnership, remains unclear.
