How Red Bull staff privately feel about Liam Lawson returning to the team one day after Racing Bulls demotion

Red Bull Racing have taken a drastic decision to try and take the pressure off Liam Lawson after a difficult start to the 2025 season.

After just two race weekends, Liam Lawson was swapped with Yuki Tsunoda, which sees the 23-year-old return to Racing Bulls in time for the Japanese Grand Prix.

After returning to the grid for the first six races of last year, Lawson put on a show of immense self-confidence to convince team principal Christian Horner that he was the right man to replace Sergio Perez.

Lawson clashed with Perez as well as Fernando Alonso during his races for RB, but Lawson’s self-belief showed Horner that he should be driving for Red Bull this year.

Unfortunately, Lawson’s body language told a different story at the Chinese Grand Prix, as he looked defeated after two P20 qualifying performances and a point-less weekend in Shanghai.

Lawson becomes the latest driver to suffer the ignominy of being dropped by Red Bull but it turns out a return may not be completely out of the question.

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

People at Red Bull could see Liam Lawson return after Racing Bulls demotion

Journalist Lawrence Barretto was speaking about the bizarre scenario unfolding within Red Bull on the F1 Nation Podcast.

Barretto was asked if there’s a scenario where Lawson could return to Red Bull, and he said: “I mean, I’ve talked to people at Red Bull and they say for what it’s worth, yes.

“But to your point, Natalie [Pinkham], it’s never happened before, and it’s going to be very difficult for him to see a route back.

“I think now, he should just focus on the fact that Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have rebuilt their careers in Formula 1.

“So even if he never makes it back to Red Bull, at least he had a shot. I know he didn’t get very long, but there’s still a chance that he can have a very strong career in Formula 1.

“I think it was just that he didn’t get enough time to show what he can do. But Red Bull, they don’t hang about, do they? They just don’t hang about.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

How Liam Lawson fought for Red Bull seat before replacing Sergio Perez

Lawson needs to rebuild his confidence over the upcoming triple header after a brutal start to his first full Formula 1 season.

Racing Bulls have a smaller profile than Red Bull, but all eyes are going to be on whether Lawson can outperform Tsunoda in an easier-to-drive car, or whether his two race weekends in the RB21 have caused a more significant setback.

Lawson privately fought hard to race for Red Bull this season, something that Tsunoda didn’t do despite being vastly more experienced.

Tsunoda has ignored the advice Horner gave Lawson before his first race, but has shown a greater level of confidence than the man he’s replacing.

He has to have that attitude going into the rest of the season, knowing that if Red Bull drop him, there’s a good chance he won’t be on the grid at all in 2026.

Meanwhile, Lawson has a slightly larger comfort blanket at Racing Bulls, although the likes of Arvid Lindblad, Pepe Marti and Ayumu Iwasa are waiting in the wings for an F1 seat.