Liam Lawson has returned to Racing Bulls after just two races at Red Bull. It marks the shortest stint of any driver at the Milton Keynes-based team.
Red Bull believed the New Zealander had higher potential than his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, despite having less experience and was outperformed by the Japanese driver in 2024. Nevertheless, Lawson was chosen to replace Sergio Perez over the winter.
Team principal Christian Horner felt the 23-year-old’s driving style was ‘more aligned’ to Max Verstappen than Perez. However, Horner was proved wrong after Lawson suffered a dismal start to the 2025 season.
In his two appearances for Red Bull, he failed to reach Q2 in the RB21. Lawson crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix in the tricky conditions and finished 12th in China after initially finishing 16th – he was bumped up by three disqualifications and a penalty for Jack Doohan.
| Race | Sprint Qualifying | Sprint Race | Qualifying | Race |
| Australian Grand Prix | N/A | N/A | 18th | DNF |
| Chinese Grand Prix | 20th | 14th | 20th | 12th |
Such a poor start to the season has led Horner and Helmut Marko to demote the Kiwi driver back to Racing Bulls, with Tsunoda replacing him. Red Bull had ‘no real choice’ to drop Lawson after he displayed negative body language in China – where he had qualified last for the Sprint and the main race.
Lawson lost total confidence at Red Bull as he could not get to grips with his car’s setup – something that was also a problem for his predecessors. The demotion will sting, but fans have noticed a key change in the 23-year-old since returning to Racing Bulls.
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Red Bull fans notice Liam Lawson is ‘much happier’ after moving back to Racing Bulls for the Japanese Grand Prix
In defence of Lawson’s poor performances in Melbourne and Shanghai, he had never driven the tracks before the respective race weekends. The Japanese Grand Prix will be more familiar to him from his Super Formula days and the Kiwi driver has raced at Suzuka in F1 back in 2023 with AlphaTauri.
Fast forward to 2025 and he is back at the Faenza squad in Japan. Surprisingly, Lawson’s camp have welcomed the demotion as it is a low-pressure environment compared to Red Bull – and his demeanour says it all.
Red Bull posted on Instagram their four drivers – Verstappen, Tsunoda, Lawson and Isack Hadjar – at a show run in Tokyo where several historic Red Bull machines took to the streets. Fans could not help but notice how relaxed and happy the New Zealander seemed to be in Racing Bulls colours.
One fan said: “Liam looks very relieved to be back at RB,” while another wished a seemingly reinvigorated 23-year-old good luck: “Lawson looks so happy. Give em hell at the Grand Prix Liam.”
Several fans saw Lawson’s move as a ‘promotion’ rather than a demotion given how difficult the RB21 is to drive. One said: “Liam seems happy about that promotion,” while another echoed: “Liam looks happier in his new and better car.”
Another user felt Tsunoda was in trouble after the driver swap: “Liam looks happy that he escaped and Yuki looks sad that he got trapped.”
Finally, one fan thought it was great to see Lawson in high spirits despite losing his Red Bull seat: “This must’ve been tough for Liam. Good on him for having his head high.”
READ MORE: All to know about Racing Bulls from team principal to Red Bull affiliation
Liam Lawson’s demotion to Racing Bulls may benefit him more than Yuki Tsunoda – here’s why
Mark Webber called Lawson’s ‘completely unacceptable’ after the first two races of 2025. While that may be true – he was qualifying last in a car Verstappen was fighting for podiums with – it does not take away how brutal the decision is.
The New Zealander had just two races to get used to his car’s sensitive nature and prove himself. Red Bull say that they took him out of the team to protect him from the pressure, but several people – including his teammate – are not pleased.
Marko says Verstappen did not agree with Lawson’s demotion as the Dutchman felt his performances would improve if the car was better to drive. However, the Kiwi driver may be able to achieve better results at Racing Bulls.
The VCARB 02 has proven to be a much better car to handle, not to mention it is capable of reaching Q3. Tsunoda qualified in the top 10 in every session before his move to Red Bull.
The demotion may benefit Lawson more than Tsunoda as he is going back to a familiar environment with a car that is easier to drive and can score points. It is the perfect chance for him to get back to the main team, with Horner saying Lawson’s time at Red Bull is not over.
