Ted Kravitz shares how every F1 driver felt about Liam Lawson’s Red Bull demotion at the Japanese Grand Prix

The 2025 Formula 1 season has only had two races and Liam Lawson is already out of Red Bull.

The New Zealander was selected as Sergio Perez’s replacement over the winter. Despite having less experience than his Racing Bulls teammate Yuki Tsunoda, he was promoted to Red Bull after impressing at the Faenza squad in 2024.

Christian Horner felt Lawson had higher potential than his teammate and would be more equipped to go against Max Verstappen. None of the Dutchman’s previous teammates were able to cope with the sensitive nature of the Red Bull.

Unfortunately, history repeated itself with Lawson. The Kiwi driver did not get out Q1 in Melbourne and Shanghai – qualifying last twice in the latter. He failed to score a point while Verstappen – who also struggled with the car – finished on the podium in Australia.

After such a dismal start, speculation swirled that the 23-year-old would be dropped for the next race at Suzuka. Helmut Marko even wanted Lawson gone after Melbourne but Horner stepped in to give him another chance in China – which was a disaster.

Sure enough, Lawson was given the boot for the Japanese Grand Prix, with Tsunoda replacing him for the remainder of the season. It marks the shortest stint of any Red Bull driver in history, with the news coming as a shock to fans and key figures in the F1 paddock.

Ted Kravitz says every F1 driver ‘felt sorry’ for Liam Lawson after his Red Bull demotion

Lawson is now the fourth driver since 2019 to be dropped by Red Bull after failing to perform next to Verstappen. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez all fell before him, but this decision is by far the most brutal after just two races in the seat.

In the New Zealander’s defence, he had raced on two unfamiliar circuits and had an extremely difficult machine to drive. Even his teammate is struggling with the RB21, with Verstappen saying he does not approve of Lawson’s demotion as his results would have improved with a better car.

The four-time champion was not alone in his opposition to the move. Speaking via The F1 Show, Ted Kravitz shared that every driver felt sorry for Lawson after media day at Suzuka.

“There wasn’t a driver who didn’t feel sorry for Liam,” he said.

“And who was really on Liam’s side, Alex Albon, who knows what it’s like to in that position. Says: ‘I feel sorry for Liam. I’m excited for Yuki, but Liam has a great opportunity to regroup and rebuild and he can come bouncing back.’

“That was the same from Carlos Sainz, who while was never dropped by Red Bull, knows the system.

“Yeah, various drivers, Gasly said he felt sorry for him as well.”

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

Liam Lawson is looking to recover his form at Racing Bulls

The move back to Racing Bulls will sting, especially after only getting two races to show his skills at Red Bull. But the Kiwi driver has taken a surprising stance on the situation.

Lawson’s camp have welcomed the demotion as he will now be in a low-pressure environment, not to mention one he is familiar with. The 23-year-old showed impressive signs with the Faenza outfit in his brief spells in 2023 and 2024 – he has the perfect chance to do it again in 2025.

The VCARB 02 appears to be an easier car to handle than the RB21. Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar have also proved it can perform, with the pair reaching Q3 in China.

Lawson is ‘much happier’ at Racing Bulls after his exit from Red Bull. The move may work out in his favour with the right support, while Tsunoda will inherit his problems at the main team.