Liam Lawson is putting his first car under the hammer — and it’s very, very Kiwi.
Fresh off a career-best finish in Azerbaijan, the Racing Bulls driver has announced he’s auctioning the 2000 Subaru Forester he bought with his mate Matt Stevens to raise money for I AM HOPE, the New Zealand charity focused on youth mental health. Bidding closes 7pm local time on Friday 7 November, timed to coincide with the charity’s big annual fundraiser, Gumboot Friday.
This isn’t a token sale or a dusty old first-car nostalgia play. Lawson and Stevens took the Forester down to the bones and built it back up, with more than $25,000 NZD poured into the project. The original engine had 234,000km on it before they swapped in a new one, and a raft of fresh parts have gone on to get it to the standard they wanted before it goes to its next home.
“It’s been a far longer project than I ever imagined but I’m excited that it’s finally going to auction,” Lawson said. “We wanted to really push the project and make the car as cool as we can and then auction it for I AM HOPE. A lot of people have a connection to the charity, or have some experience with, myself included.”
The build started before Lawson’s 2023 promotion into Formula 1 and kept pace with his travel schedule from there, with Stevens running point and local sponsors stepping in to help. The pair’s combined effort has turned a humble Forester into what Stevens calls “probably the world’s most expensive Forester” — a one-off that’s part passion project, part community fundraiser.
“There’s been a few dramas along the way but finally it’s ready to go,” Lawson added, “and I hope we can raise not only awareness for the I AM HOPE charity, but also shine a light on youth mental health, especially young men, at a time of the year when Gumboot Friday is in full swing.”
I AM HOPE founder Mike King didn’t undersell what this means for the charity: “This is Kiwi generosity at its best: a much-loved first car rebuilt into thousands of minutes of free counselling. Liam, Matt and their crew have taken a passion project and made it a lifeline for our kids. If you bid, you’re not just buying a car – you’re buying time with a counsellor when it matters. Getting your hands on an awesome car and helping kids at the same time is a no-brainer.”
Every cent from the sale goes to I AM HOPE, which funds counselling for young people across New Zealand. For Lawson — one of the most grounded figures in the paddock — it’s a neat full-circle moment: the car that helped start his journey now helping someone else find their footing.
As for the hardware? No, it’s not a museum-piece supercar with a velvet rope. It’s better than that. It’s a tidy, rebuilt Forester with a story, a bunch of new parts, a fresh engine, and the fingerprints of family, friends and local businesses all over it. The kind of thing that tells you more about a driver than any corporate showcar ever could.
Whether you’re a fan in New Zealand or just someone who likes a good cause with a bit of character, the message is simple: bid if you can, spread the word if you can’t. The auction closes Friday night, and somewhere down the line, a young person gets to talk to a counsellor because a kid from Hastings didn’t forget where he came from.
