F1 VERDICT: Liam Lawson was both destroyed and saved by one

Liam Lawson was both destroyed and saved by one drastic Red Bull decision

Liam Lawson was relieved of his seat at Red Bull after only two rounds, demoted back to Racing Bulls for Yuki Tsunoda. On reflection, it is a decision that both destroyed and saved the New Zealander.

In late 2024, Red Bull pulled the plug on a dramatic period for Sergio Perez, abruptly ending his tenure as team-mate to Max Verstappen, despite the 35-year-old being under contract.

The Mexican driver had scored almost no points in the second half of the campaign, resulting in Red Bull finishing only third in the F1 constructors’ championship. Verstappen, on the other hand, won the driver’s title with two rounds to spare.

Liam Lawson was chosen as Perez’s successor soon after. Despite only racing in F1 for two short stints across 2023 and last year, the New Zealander had left an impression on the Milton Keynes-based squad.

Now-departed team principal Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, as a result, viewed Lawson to have greater potential than Yuki Tsunoda. The theory was that as Lawson was already matching the 25-year-old, he would only get better.

However, he immediately struggled inside the cockpit of the troublesome RB21; a Q1 elimination during qualifying for the season-opening proceeded a race-ending crash in the Melbourne rain.

Although it is perhaps harsh to blame Lawson, who was kept out on slicks as conditions at Albert Park worsened in the vain hope of scoring points.

Nonetheless, the lack of pace the 23-year-old exhibited across the weekend was a cause for concern at the six-time constructors’ champions.

The biggest disaster, however, lay in wait. The following week, at the Chinese Grand Prix, Lawson found himself rooted to the foot of the field, in both sprint and full qualifying.

After a second consecutive pointless round, the team took the bull by the horns and demoted Lawson back to Racing Bulls, with Tsunoda parachuted in to replace him.

It was a drastic measure and a widely criticised decision, one with major consequences, both positive and negative.

After a second consecutive pointless round, the team took the bull by the horns and demoted Lawson back to Racing Bulls, with Tsunoda parachuted in to replace him.

It was a drastic measure and a widely criticised decision, one with major consequences, both positive and negative.

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Hugo Harvey

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