Breaking:Liam Lawson’s Demotion to Racing Bulls Seen as Positive Move by…read more 

Breaking:Liam Lawson’s Demotion to Racing Bulls Seen as Positive Move by…read more

Liam Lawson’s return to the Racing Bulls team after the Chinese Grand Prix has been hailed as a positive step for the 23-year-old New Zealander by his long-time supporter, Tony Quinn. The decision to move Lawson back to the junior team comes after a challenging start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, where he struggled for speed and found himself at the back of the grid alongside Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.

Quinn, who has been closely involved in Lawson’s career and is a key supporter through the Tony Quinn Foundation, believes the demotion will benefit Lawson in the long run. Reflecting on the situation, Quinn noted that if Lawson had remained with the senior Red Bull team, the pressure and lack of progress could have had severe mental health consequences.

“I think it’ll be good for him,” Quinn told Speedcafe. “If he had stayed on for another event and things didn’t improve, it could have been much worse. He’d be nearly suicidal, to be quite honest.”

Lawson’s performances during the first two rounds of the 2025 season were below expectations, as he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment at both events and struggled to challenge for points. Despite positive feedback from pre-season testing and simulator sessions, the reality of racing at the top level proved more difficult than anticipated.

Quinn explained that the team had originally hoped Lawson would start showing improvement by the Japanese Grand Prix, with the understanding that if things didn’t improve, he would be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. That switch came sooner than expected, however, with Tsunoda now taking Lawson’s seat at Red Bull for the upcoming races.

“It’s been a lot harder than I think he thought it would be,” Quinn admitted. “The testing and simulator work pointed to a positive start, but the actual races have been more challenging. The decision to replace him with Tsunoda came earlier than we expected, but I think this change will help him refocus.”

While Lawson’s future with Red Bull remains uncertain, the move to Racing Bulls offers him a chance to regroup and develop further away from the intense pressure of the senior team. With the support of Quinn and his foundation, Lawson remains optimistic about his growth in the sport.