Liam Lawson admitted that losing his `dream` Red Bull seat was `tough`, but conveyed his gratitude to supporters for their continued backing as he prepares to rejoin Racing Bulls.
Lawson is set to return to Red Bull`s junior team for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. This follows Yuki Tsunoda`s move to take the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen, a change made after just two challenging races into the new Formula 1 season.
In his first public statement since the unexpected driver swap was announced, Lawson, 23, shared on Instagram: “Being a Red Bull Racing driver has been my dream since childhood, 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 support, it truly means the world.”
“Thank you to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls for the warm welcome back. I am excited and eager to get to work at one of my favorite circuits, Japan.”
Lawson`s Instagram post featured two nostalgic images from his childhood.
The first image was a snapshot from a school presentation, showcasing a young Lawson next to an open book about a racing driver. The second appeared to be a child`s drawing of his future aspiration: to become a Formula 1 driver, depicted in Red Bull-esque racing overalls.
Marko: Lawson`s Confidence Waned, Red Bull Acknowledges `Mistake`
Helmut Marko, Red Bull`s motorsport advisor and head of their young driver program, elaborated on the rationale behind the driver change in his column for Speedweek. He suggested that Lawson`s confidence had diminished after difficult weekends in Australia and China.
“During the first race weekend in Australia, Liam experienced a turbo failure in the third practice, preventing him from completing a single lap. From that moment, the pressure on him intensified, leading to errors. This pattern continued in China,” Marko explained.
“We needed to intervene before Liam`s confidence completely eroded. It`s important to remember that his career is not over. He is returning to Racing Bulls, a team with a car consistently capable of scoring points, a car that is also easier to handle, and importantly, a team where he won`t be directly compared to Max Verstappen.”
“Another challenge, faced by Sergio Perez in 2024 despite his experience, is that the Red Bull Racing car, with its narrow optimal operating window, is inherently difficult to drive. Furthermore, we are currently two to three tenths of a second behind the leading teams, compounding the difficulty.”
“Overall, Lawson’s confidence steadily declined; it was visibly apparent.”
The swap occurred just 99 days after Red Bull initially announced Lawson`s promotion over the more seasoned Tsunoda.
“Why wasn`t Tsunoda initially preferred? It was because Yuki`s career has been characterized by inconsistency. He didn’t have a reputation for consistent reliability,” Marko noted.
“However, he has since made significant progress in his development, including his physical conditioning.”
“Yuki demonstrated impressive performance in the first two race weekends [of 2025]. The qualities we observed in Lawson during the latter half of the 2024 season are now evident in Yuki.”
Regarding team leader Verstappen, Marko mentioned that a meeting earlier in the week at Milton Keynes, involving Verstappen and his engineers, focused on “how and when” Red Bull could regain a winning car.
He stated that the team was able to demonstrate to Verstappen the “general development direction of the race car and the specific improvements being implemented.”
In a separate interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Marko conceded, “Yes, I would say we made a mistake” in their initial decision regarding Lawson and Tsunoda.
He affirmed that Tsunoda would have “until the end of the season” to prove himself in the seat, expressing confidence in the Japanese driver`s ability to do so, while also anticipating a strong impact from Lawson back at Racing Bulls.
Performance Clauses for Top Drivers
Marko also emphasized the team`s dedication to improving their car to support Verstappen`s quest for a record-equaling fifth consecutive drivers` title this year.
Amid ongoing speculation about Verstappen’s long-term commitment to the team despite his contract extending to 2028, Marko added: “There is immense motivation to secure this fifth title.”
“We are also aware that if we fail to deliver for Max, it`s no secret that all top drivers have performance clauses in their contracts. Our priority is to win this title.”
