Liam Lawson has acknowledged the disappointment of losing his `dream` Red Bull seat, describing it as `tough`. He also thanked his fans for their continued support as he prepares to rejoin Racing Bulls.
Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix next week, Lawson is returning to Red Bull`s junior team. This move comes after just two races into the new F1 season and sees Yuki Tsunoda taking Lawson`s place alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
In his first statement since the driver swap was announced, Lawson, 23, posted on Instagram: “Being a Red Bull Racing driver has been my lifelong dream. It`s what I`ve dedicated my entire career to.”
“It`s a difficult situation, but I am thankful for everything that has led me to this point. To everyone who has supported me, thank you for your incredible backing, it truly means a lot.”
“Thank you to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls for the warm welcome back. I`m excited and eager to get to work at one of my favorite circuits, Japan.”
Lawson`s Instagram post included childhood photos: one from a school presentation featuring him next to a book about a racing driver, and another a drawing of his childhood ambition to be an F1 driver in Red Bull colors.
With his immediate aspiration of driving for the main Red Bull team on hold, Lawson goes back to Racing Bulls. He previously had a promising stint of 11 races for them in 2023 and 2024.
Unlike the initial races in Australia and China this season, Lawson has prior experience at the Suzuka circuit in Japan. He competed there in Japanese Super Formula in 2023 and also participated in the Japanese Grand Prix that year during a five-race period substituting for the injured Daniel Ricciardo.
Marko: Lawson`s Confidence Dropped, Red Bull Admits `Mistake`
Helmut Marko, Red Bull`s motorsport advisor, explained the decision in his Speedweek column, stating that Lawson`s confidence had declined after challenging weekends in Australia and China.
“In Australia, Liam had a turbo failure in practice, preventing him from completing a lap. This increased pressure, leading to mistakes that continued in China,” Marko wrote.
“We needed to act before Liam`s confidence completely disappeared. It`s important to remember his career isn`t over. He`s returning to Racing Bulls, a team capable of scoring points with a more forgiving car, where he won`t be directly compared to Max Verstappen.”
Marko added that the Red Bull car`s narrow operating window makes it challenging to drive, even for experienced drivers like Sergio Perez in 2024. He noted that being slightly slower than competitors further complicates matters.
“Overall, Lawson`s confidence visibly decreased,” Marko concluded.
The driver change occurred just 99 days after Red Bull initially chose Lawson over Tsunoda to replace Perez, despite Lawson`s limited experience at the time.
“Why not Tsunoda initially? Yuki`s career has been inconsistent, lacking reliability,” Marko explained.
“However, Yuki has since significantly improved, including his physical fitness.”
“Yuki`s performances in the first two races of 2025 were impressive. The qualities Lawson showed in late 2024 are now evident in Yuki.”
Regarding Verstappen`s reaction, Marko mentioned a meeting at Milton Keynes where they discussed the team`s development direction to regain competitiveness. He indicated they showed Verstappen the planned improvements for the car.
In a BBC Radio 5 Live interview, Marko admitted, “Yes, I would say we made a mistake” in their initial driver selection between Lawson and Tsunoda.
He confirmed Tsunoda has the season to prove himself, expressing confidence in the Japanese driver, while also anticipating Lawson making a strong return at Racing Bulls.
Performance Clauses for Top Drivers
Marko emphasized the team`s focus on improving the car to support Verstappen`s quest for a fifth consecutive title.
Addressing speculation about Verstappen`s future, Marko stated, “There`s huge motivation to secure this fifth title.”
“We are aware that if we don`t deliver for Max, it`s no secret that all top drivers have performance clauses in their contracts. But our aim is to win this championship.”
