Liam Lawson has had a rough start to his first full season in F1. Neither he nor anyone in his team would dispute that.
He lasted just two grands prix – in Melbourne and Shanghai – before Red Bull pulled him off the grid in favour of Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda.
The 23-year-old Kiwi will now drive for their junior side, Racing Bulls.
“It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and, as a result, we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said.
There may also be more to the story, the performance of the car and star Red Bull driver Max Verstappen having “liked” an Instagram post from former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde accusing Red Bull of “bullying” Lawson.
Van der Garde, who drove for the Caterham team in 2013, wrote: “Yes, you gotta perform. Yes, the pressure is insane. But in my opinion, this comes closer to bullying or a panic move than actual high athlete achievements.
“They [Red Bull] made a decision – fully aware – gave Liam two races only to crush his spirit."
Other drivers have been demoted before and have bounced back to have successful careers.
Red Bull have a history of changing and blaming those who drive alongside Verstappen. Lawson is the latest to face this after being Sergio Perez’s replacement at the end of last year.
Lawson yesterday thanked his supporters and shared a childhood drawing of himself in his dream job, an F1 driver.
“It’s tough, but I’m grateful for everything that’s brought me to this point,” he said.
It was a heartfelt moment in a brutal job.
Lawson has already put in countless hours of dedication and hard work to achieve what he has already.
Regardless of the swiftness of his axing from Red Bull, he may see this as an opportunity.
Since his first foray into F1 as a reserve driver in 2022, he has spent considerable time with Racing Bulls, which was previously called AlphaTauri.
In two separate stints across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he completed 11 grands prix with the junior side and achieved a career-best finish of ninth on three separate occasions.
He will return to an environment and a team he knows well. And in a car that is more forgiving than the one he’s been asked to drive so far this year.
Next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix is now a must-watch for Kiwi sports fans, with Lawson out to prove a point.
The F1 season is long and demanding, with the last race coming in Abu Dhabi in December. This is not the end of Lawson’s career in F1, far from it, and he will have his chance to prove he is worthy of being in one of those 20 seats.
Life is full of setbacks, Liam.
Keep fighting for that seat. Keep fighting for your dream.
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