Liam Lawson will now be preparing for the Japanese Grand Prix, but not in the way he would have expected at the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Red Bull made the brutal decision to swap Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda after the first two races of the F1 campaign.
Lawson struggled with the RB21 in both races, and Red Bull made efforts to change his set-up to try and compensate for the incredibly small operating window of the car.
Max Verstappen has been critical of his car, but still sits second in the drivers’ championship, using his incredible talent to drive around the RB21’s issues.
The 23-year-old New Zealander was never expected to immediately challenge Verstappen on the track, but the prerequisite of replacing Sergio Perez was that he could aid Red Bull in their quest to win the constructors’ title.
However, Lawson is yet to get off the mark, forcing Red Bull to act and promote a driver they previously showed very little interest in.
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Helmut Marko was surprised by Liam Lawson’s inability to cope with Red Bull pressure
In the aftermath of Red Bull’s decision to replace Lawson, chief advisor Helmut Marko took part in an interview with Formel1.de.
Christian Horner cited Lawson’s mental strength as a key reason why he was promoted ahead of Tsunoda over the winter.
However, Marko was asked about Tsunoda and Lawson’s performances at the start of 2025 and whether they had surprised him and he said: “Yes, one was below average and the other was surprisingly positive.”
It was then put to Marko that Lawson’s ability to handle pressure was one of the reasons cited for initially selecting him over Tsunoda.
| Category | Yuki Tsunoda | Liam Lawson |
| 2024 points | 8 | 4 |
| Grand Prix results | 4 | 2 |
| Grand Prix qualifying | 6 | 0 |
| Grand Prix wins | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix poles | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix podiums | 0 | 0 |
| Best finish | 7th | 9th |
| Retirements | 1 | 0 |
| Retirements (classified finish) | 0 | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Prix points finishes | 2 | 2 |
| Sprint results | 0 | 3 |
| Sprint Qualifying | 0 | 3 |
| Sprint wins | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint poles | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint podiums | 0 | 0 |
In response to this, Marko explained: “It was surprising, yes, that Lawson [didn’t cope with the pressure], but as I said, those were unfortunately circumstances.
“It was already during the tests in Bahrain that he had technical problems, which affected his mileage.
“This third practice session in Australia was a crucial point and then again he had a sprint weekend.
“But, nevertheless, you just have to perform and he was on a downward spiral.
“Yuki is now in his fifth year, and as I said, makes a really strong overall impression and we expect that he will master it.”
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko? Everything to know
Liam Lawson has the perfect opportunity to restart with Formula 1 career at the Japanese Grand Prix
Lawson worked for years to earn his opportunity to drive for Red Bull, and to have it taken away after just two races is extremely harsh.
There’s no room for sentiment in Formula 1, but failing to allow a driver to try and reach his potential will leave many fans asking questions about the process that led to Lawson being promoted ahead of Tsunoda in the first place.
However, the Japanese Grand Prix might be the perfect opportunity for Lawson to return to form.
He knows the track very well from his days racing in Super Formula. In 2023, Lawson outperformed Tsunoda at Suzuka during his first cameo with the team.
RACE CLASSIFICATION (LAP 53/53)
Perfection from Verstappen 👌#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/sOelj3CpQz
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 24, 2023
Horner promised Lawson another chance in F1 based partly on that performance, and he’ll be looking to turn heads once again next weekend.
Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have gone on to have impressive careers in Formula 1 after being dropped by Red Bull, and Lawson must take inspiration from them to go on and do the same thing.
