Red Bull Racing have scheduled an emergency meeting after the Chinese Grand Prix raised critical concerns about its newest driver’s performance.

Just two races into 2025, Liam Lawson‘s Red Bull future is already up for debate, as he has failed to score a single point while teammate Max Verstappen sits in second in the World Drivers’ Championship standings.

Helmut Marko confirms emergency Liam Lawson meeting

After two Grands Prix and one Sprint, new Red Bull hire Liam Lawson has yet to score a single point, and the team is concerned.

Speculation about Lawson’s future has mounted, with rumours suggesting that a new face could grace the No. 2 Red Bull seat in the near future.

Thus far, things haven’t gone Lawson’s way. The year has kicked off with two tracks Lawson has never raced before, and in every case, he’s been knocked out in the first round of qualifying. In China, the team opted to pull the RB21 from parc fermé, taking a pit lane start in the hope that they’d be able to make a change that resulted in better pace.

In Australia, Lawson crashed out of the race, one of several drivers caught out by a mid-race rainstorm. In China, Lawson kept his nose clean, but the odds were against him with both that pit lane start and the team’s decision to run him on a two-stop strategy.

Just months after Red Bull dropped Sergio Perez for failing to contribute to another World Constructors’ Championship, Lawson is in much the same position.

More on Liam Lawson’s future:

👉 Is Liam Lawson facing replacement after just two races with Red Bull?

👉 Why Max Verstappen cannot paper over Red Bull’s cracks forever

Speaking to Sky Germany after the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that Lawson’s performance is concerning enough to warrant serious conversation.

“This week there is a meeting in Milton Keynes to discuss when and how we can close the gap,” Marko said.

“Until then, it’s about scoring as many points as possible.

“We are worried, but it is not like we are throwing in the towel.”

Lawson, too, has acknowledged that things have been something of a disaster so far.

“It’s safe to say that we’re not happy,” he told media after the Chinese Grand Prix. “None of us are happy. I don’t know what more you want me to say to that, really.”

He continued, “I think Max is able to get in and have the car on the limit, knows where the limit is everywhere, and be comfortable with it, and it’s just something I’m figuring out.

“It’s obviously extremely tough. It’s not something I’m enjoying, but I’m honestly working as hard as I can to get on top of it.”

While discussions about replacing Lawson do feel extremely premature, the need for an emergency meeting just two races into 2025 is not a good sign — but perhaps siting down with the team will help Lawson find a new path forward.

Read next: Christian Horner ‘feeling sorry’ for Liam Lawson as replacement speculation addressed