Liam Lawson told by Racing Bulls chief why his two-race spell at Red Bull was still considered a ‘success’

Liam Lawson’s stint at Red Bull lasted just two races in 2025 as he was dropped back to Racing Bulls for the remainder of the season.

The New Zealander was picked to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull over Yuki Tsunoda, despite having significantly less experience. Lawson had raced only 11 Grand Prix at that point, but had impressed Christian Horner in his brief spells with Racing Bulls.

Horner would ultimately be proved wrong as the 23-year-old became the next Red Bull driver to struggle next to Max Verstappen and lose his seat. But his sacking was by far the most brutal.

Failing to reach Q2 in Melbourne and crashing out in the race, Helmut Marko wanted the Kiwi driver after his Red Bull debut. Horner privately saved Lawson and gave him a second chance in Shanghai – he would qualify last twice and again fail to score points.

Those two races were enough for the Milton Keynes outfit as they swapped the New Zealander for Tsunoda at Suzuka, giving Lawson the shortest Red Bull career in history. Such a demotion will no doubt have been damaged for the 23-year-old.

Lawson lost total confidence at Red Bull as he struggled to adapt to the RB21’s sensitive setup. Despite his difficulties and subsequent axe, Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies still views his stint as a ‘success’.

Laurent Mekies says Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda’s promotions to Red Bull are a ‘success’ for Racing Bulls

Acting as Red Bull’s junior team since 2006, Racing Bulls – formerly Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri – have played a vital role in developing the Milton Keynes outfit’s young talent. Drivers such as Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly have all come through the team over the years.

Lawson and Tsunoda are the latest to make the step up to Red Bull. While both promotions came under controversial circumstances, Mekies says it is a ‘success’ when a Racing Bulls driver performs well enough to earn a move up to the main team.

“Our main objective is competitiveness, fine. Our second objective is to play our part in developing Red Bull drivers,” he said via Autosport.

“Therefore, if and when our drivers are performing well enough to get the attention of the wider Red Bull family, to the point to get promoted, it’s a success.

“Now sometimes the second objective is conflicting the first objective, but nonetheless, it’s a success. So it was a success last year for us when we’ve put on the table two drivers potentially able to go to Red Bull Racing.

“It is a success again for us this year when we see Yuki given the opportunity. Yuki is a driver that has grown in an incredible way in the last year and a half.

“We are used to seeing drivers growing in the first year of their career, two years of their career. What he has done on year four and year five has been extraordinary.

“It’s a great moment for Yuki, he deserves it, it’s a great moment for the team to be able to see him moving up.”

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

Is a Red Bull return on the cards for Liam Lawson in the future?

Lawson’s camp welcomed the demotion to Racing Bulls as he is back in a familiar, low-pressure environment with an easier car to handle. The New Zealander will be keen to find his feet again in F1.

Teammate Isack Hadjar has ‘definitely’ noticed a change in Lawson as he looked stronger in Jeddah. It was the first time he outqualified the Frenchman in 2025, albeit he was beaten in the race on Sunday.

Lawson is yet to score points this season as he is still getting accustomed to the VCARB 02. Hadjar is currently getting the better of him and could now be higher in the pecking order to join Red Bull.

Lawson’s chances of returning to Red Bull are very slim after such a dismal stint in the opening two races. There is a possibility he could be off the grid entirely come 2026 with his contract being up at the end of the year.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says Lawson must be ‘protected’ and given all the support he needs to flourish. While his results have slightly improved at Racing Bulls, it is clear that more work needs to be done.