Schiff: Lawson's Red Bull demotion has been 'best thing' for his F1 career

Naomi Schiff believes Liam Lawson's demotion from Red Bull to Racing Bulls has proven to be the turning point his Formula 1 career needed. After a brief and difficult 2025 stint alongside Max Verstappen led to a swift return to the sister outfit, the New Zealander has rebuilt his reputation by scoring points in five of the first seven grands prix in 2026, including an eighth-place finish at the recent Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

Red Bull's second seat has historically ended promising careers under immense pressure, but Lawson's return to Racing Bulls appears to have broken that pattern. His resurgence stabilizes his own trajectory while cementing RB's status as the leading midfield force in a tight constructors' battle.

The details:

• Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Schiff argued that Racing Bulls gives Lawson a better platform to thrive than the intensity of the senior Red Bull cockpit.
• She called RB "the best of the rest," noting that while Audi and Alpine occasionally challenge them, the team is comfortably locked inside the top ten.
• Lawson sits tenth in the drivers' championship with 28 points, while rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad holds thirteenth with 13 points.
• Together, the pairing has collected 41 points, placing Racing Bulls sixth in the constructors' standings.

What's next:

With both Lawson and Lindblad consistently scoring and reporting greater comfort within the team environment, RB looks poised to dominate the midfield heading into the European summer swing. If Lawson maintains this level of performance through the next few rounds, he could force his way back into conversations for a senior seat based purely on merit rather than circumstance.