The Racing Bulls team has welcomed Liam Lawson back with open arms ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. With a sign saying, “we missed you,” this moment followed a difficult week for the New Zealander who was unexpectedly demoted from Red Bull after a difficult start to the season.
With over 500,000 likes on the Instagram post showing the reunion, it’s fair to say it’s garnered plenty of attention.
The team, including Laurent Mekies, gathered in the paddock of the Suzuka Circuit to welcome Lawson back into the fold with a pit board displaying the heartwarming message.
In a statement from the team, Lawson confirmed his excitement to race in Japan, a track he knows well from his days in Super Formula.
“I’m really looking forward to be racing in Japan this weekend. Suzuka is one of my favourite tracks on the calendar.
“It’s cool to drive and very high speed, which makes it great fun in a Formula 1 car.
“This weekend is a big opportunity for me as I rejoin Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and I’m very excited to work with this team again.
“As always, I’ll be giving it everything I have.“
Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Kym Illman – Getty Images
Racing director of Racing Bulls, Alan Permane, welcomes the Kiwi back.
“We welcome Liam back to the team at a track he knows well from his season in Super Formula in 2023 and look forward to him and Isack working together to extract the maximum performance from the car here and for the rest of the season.”
The decision to demote Lawson after just two race weekends came as a surprise to many.
“It was definitely a shock, honestly. It’s not something that I saw coming,” Lawson told Sky Sports ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. “The discussions we were having as well, I think, weren’t really leaning in this direction, so it was definitely not something that I sort of expected.”
The video was shared to Reddit, where one user commented: “This is pretty wholesome content right here. More positivity isn’t a bad thing!”
Another added, “He’s out of the spotlight, has a car which is significantly easier to drive, and has less pressure on him.
“If Yuki also flops and Lawson beats Hadjar, then these two races won’t diminish Lawson’s stock much in the long term and he’ll still be on the grid for 2026 and further.”
A third hopes Lawson can continue to impress in the easier Faenza machine: “I hope he does well in the VCARB. It seems more manageable than the Red Bull, so hopefully he can score some points and get some of his confidence back.”
Lawson will be hoping to leverage the Racing Bulls this weekend at a track he knows, hoping to prove that his time at the senior team was a struggle due to the car, not because of his own driving skills.
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