Lawson says Red Bull judged him too quickly after two races
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 22, 2026
Lawson's Red Bull exit
Red Bull driver Liam Lawson said the team judged him too quickly after only two races in 2025 and cut short his first run in the seat. Red Bull had chosen him in late 2024 over Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda for the 2025 lineup, but the opening weeks gave him little time to settle. Lawson failed to score points in either of his Red Bull weekends. He qualified 18th and retired from the Australian Grand Prix. He then qualified last for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix in China. After the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull replaced him with Tsunoda and sent Lawson back to Racing Bulls, with the change taking effect at Suzuka. Lawson said he was told he had lost the seat after those two races. He also said the Chinese Grand Prix result was later used against him. For Lawson, the Red Bull stint lasted only two rounds and ended before he could build any momentum. It was a sharp fall for a driver who had been chosen ahead of Perez and Tsunoda only months earlier.
Lawson's China struggles
Lawson said the problem started before the racing did. He said pre-season issues left him under-prepared, with limited testing and missed track time in Bahrain and Melbourne. Starting the campaign at two unfamiliar circuits made the adjustment harder, he said, and he never found the rhythm he needed in China. Red Bull made a major setup change for the China sprint weekend to find direction, Lawson said, and he said the move was about the car rather than him. He said it hurt tyre wear and race pace. The weekend ended with him 12th in the Chinese Grand Prix, more than a minute behind Max Verstappen. Lawson said that result was later used against him. He also called Red Bull’s explanation that he was removed to protect his mental well-being entirely false. The early weeks gave him more problems than answers, and the limited preparation showed up quickly on track. The switch in setup left him chasing balance instead of building confidence.
Lawson's Racing Bulls form
Lawson said he has mostly acted as though the Red Bull stint never happened, and he said the demotion was hard to process emotionally. He also rejected Red Bull’s mental well-being explanation in blunt terms. Back at Racing Bulls, the results have been better. Lawson has been the team’s leading driver with 28 points, compared with Arvid Lindblad’s 13. Those points have helped Racing Bulls move up to sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. His season now has two clear sides, a short Red Bull spell with no points and a stronger stretch in Racing Bulls colours. The split has defined his year. It has also given him a firmer position inside the team after a fast and difficult exit from Red Bull.
