Liam Lawson was given the nod over Yuki Tsunoda to fill the vacant second seat at Red Bull, following the team’s decision to replace Sergio Perez. However, after only two race weekends, including a sprint weekend in China, Lawson was demoted to Racing Bulls and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson failed to get to grips with the difficult-to-drive RB21. After being promoted to the main team, Tsunoda’s results haven’t impressed, showing perhaps that the car is at fault. There has been a string of drivers who have partnered with Max Verstappen, only to fall by the wayside after being outclassed by the four-time world champion.
Lawson failed to finish his first race for Red Bull in Australia and crossed the line 81 seconds behind race winner Oscar Piastri in China. However, the Kiwi believes he wasn’t given enough time to show his worth at Red Bull.
Liam Lawson says his mentality never changed while driving for Red Bull
Liam Lawson impressed after two ‘super-sub’ stints during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. His pace was close to Yuki Tsunoda’s, and he got the nod ahead of the Japanese driver to replace Sergio Perez. Lawson felt he needed more time to get to grips with the RB21 and that two races weren’t long enough to judge him.
Speaking exclusively to F1.com, Laswon said: “I think that was the biggest thing going into a team like that, in a car like that… it was going to take a bit of time to adjust and learn. With no proper testing, the issues in testing, the issues in Melbourne through practice… it wasn’t smooth and clean. I needed time, and I wasn’t given it.”
“I Would Have Loved More Time” Liam Lawson Reflects on Red Bull Demotion
Reports claimed that Lawson had lost his confidence during the opening two races of the season. However, the Kiwi has hit back at those reports, claiming they are not true. He added: “It’s been very heavily speculated that my confidence took a hit and stuff like this, which is completely false. From the start of the year, I felt the same as I always have.”
Former Red Bull academy driver Jamie Alguersuari had defended Lawson, saying it was too quick to judge the youngster’s performance. In those two races, Lawson failed to show the pace required for Red Bull. But he had impressed with his driving for Racing Bulls in the previous two seasons. Lawson’s promotion may have been too soon, with the 23-year-old needing more time to cut his teeth in F1.
Liam Lawson is getting back to form with Racing Bulls
After a slow start when returning to Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson has found his feet. He scored his first points of the season with an P8 finish in Monaco. He went on to record his highest ever F1 finish of sixth in Austria. Lawson believes that the Red Bull sister team feels different and has a better operating window than the RB21.
He concluded: “It does feel different. I think it’s maybe not what everyone expects, but it is definitely a different feeling to drive. I think the window that the [Racing Bulls] guys have at the moment is very, very good.”
Christian Horner Justifies “Sporting Decision” as Yuki Tsunoda Takes Liam Lawson’s Seat at Red Bull
“From the first triple-header, the speed was good. It wasn’t great, but it was quite good there. Since then, it’s been in a pretty good place.”
Lawson needs to build his form back to where it was during his cameo appearances last season. If he can find that, a return to Red Bull, with more experience under his belt, is not out of the question. He needs to start getting the better of Isack Hadjar more often. There, he can build and challenge to get back into a top team.
