Liam Lawson's brief stint at Red Bull, where he replaced Sergio Perez for two races before being demoted, initially seemed to destroy his F1 aspirations but has ultimately proven to be a turning point for the New Zealander.
The Context
Red Bull abruptly ended Sergio Perez's contract in late 2024 due to his poor performance in the second half of the season, despite Max Verstappen securing the drivers' title. Liam Lawson, who had impressed in earlier F1 stints, was chosen as Perez's successor, with team leadership believing he had greater potential than Yuki Tsunoda.
The Demotion
Lawson immediately struggled with the challenging RB21. A Q1 elimination and a race-ending crash in the wet Australian Grand Prix raised concerns. The following week in China, he found himself at the back of the field in both sprint and main qualifying sessions. After two consecutive pointless rounds, Red Bull took the drastic decision to demote Lawson back to Racing Bulls, replacing him with Yuki Tsunoda.
A Brutal Lesson
Lawson's return to Racing Bulls was challenging. While new teammate Isack Hadjar regularly reached Q3 and scored points, Lawson struggled, facing the prospect of losing his F1 seat. Red Bull's approach was widely criticized, with Lawson himself revealing in an interview that a setup experiment, intended for his development, was used against him to justify his demotion.
- Lawson was unaware his time was limited to two races.
- He felt naive, expecting more time to learn and adapt.
The Silver Lining
Despite the initial setback, Red Bull's harsh decision has inadvertently provided Lawson with a second chance. As he grows more comfortable with the VCARB 02, he has found strong form, now consistently outperforming Hadjar in both qualifying and race trim.
- Lawson has scored points in three of the last four rounds.
- He achieved a career-best sixth-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix.
- He is now only two points behind Hadjar in the drivers' standings.
What's Next
Lawson's resilience and improved performance have helped him become a more complete driver. While his future at Red Bull remains uncertain, especially with Arvid Lindblad and Hadjar also impressing, his experience from this ordeal is invaluable. Like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon before him, Lawson has shown that there is indeed life in F1 beyond a direct Red Bull seat, should that be his path forward.