Liam Lawson is now fighting for his future in Formula 1 with the Kiwi still yet to kick his campaign into gear since Red Bull demoted him to Racing Bulls after only two rounds.
The 23-year-old started the 2025 F1 season by realising a childhood dream to be a Red Bull driver. But Lawson could not get to grips with their RB21, so he was sent back to Racing Bulls in a straight swap with Yuki Tsunoda having failed to score a point and he still stands on zero.
Lawson has not finished higher than 12th all year with P12 in the Chinese Grand Prix for Red Bull and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for Racing Bulls. Max Verstappen took 36 points whilst the Kiwi was at Red Bull and Isack Hadjar has scored seven since he re-joined Racing Bulls.
Being beaten by rookie Hadjar is doing the Hastings native no favours and Red Bull could put Arvid Lindblad in Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat during the 2025 season if his woe persists. The Briton cannot debut in F1 until after he turns 18 on August 8 ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Jenson Button urges Liam Lawson to rebuild his confidence after being ‘trounced’ by Isack Hadjar
Red Bull see Hadjar as an option to replace Tsunoda in 2026, as well, with the 20-year-old’s rookie results for Racing Bulls proving very impressive. But Jenson Button believes Lawson cannot focus on what is going on around him and must focus on rebuilding his confidence.
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Button said on Sky Sports F1 (24/05, 11:36): “That’s the thing, waking [his confidence] up again. If every time you get in the car you think, ‘I have to beat my teammate this weekend because he’s trounced me over the last few’, it is really, really difficult.
“You need to be able to arrive and think, ‘You know what? I’m going to do my best’. Forget about the rest of what’s going on in the world.”
Liam Lawson must bounce back to stop Red Bull putting Arvid Lindblad in his Racing Bulls seat
Even Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admits Hadjar has exceeded his expectations, with the Frenchman’s seven points so far in his rookie season with Racing Bulls the same as Tsunoda has scored since the Japanese racer replaced Lawson in their main team in March.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad including his parents
Hadjar earning the plaudits has only increased the pressure on Lawson to bounce back from his brief spell in Milton Keynes. His current woes ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix have also seen Juan Pablo Montoya tip Lindblad to replace Lawson at Racing Bulls in the 2025 season.
Lawson showed his potential during his cameo appearances with the junior Red Bull team in 2023 and 2024. But after scoring his first points in Formula 1 with P9 in the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, then with P9 in the 2024 United States GP and Sao Paulo Grand Prix, his Red Bull demotion derailed the Kiwi’s momentum to establish himself as a full-time Formula 1 driver.
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