Liam Lawson’s Rocky Start in Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing

Liam Lawson, the young Kiwi racer, found himself in a precarious position after his opening four races in 2025. This wasn’t the dream debut he had envisioned when he was parachuted into the second Red Bull car following Sergio Perez’s departure.

The Promising Beginnings

Lawson was handpicked for his adaptability, pragmatism, and resilience in the face of more experienced racers on the grid. His debut race at Austin last year saw him standing tall against Fernando Alonso, refusing to back down. However, his performance during the Mexico Grand Prix with Perez was met with public criticism from Red Bull’s higher-ups.

Despite Yuki Tsunoda’s stronger qualifying results, more experience, and a clear progression path in the championship, Red Bull opted for Lawson, seemingly relying on ‘vibes’ rather than data.

The Switch and Its Consequences

The switch with Tsunoda was intended to help Lawson rebuild and provide Red Bull with a driver who had shown impressive performance in the opening two races. However, testing revealed that Red Bull may have acted prematurely by throwing a rookie into a notoriously challenging car.

Lawson’s lackluster performance during the Bahrain test set the tone for the season, with his pace significantly lagging behind Verstappen’s. The deficit persisted throughout the season, leaving Lawson struggling to keep up.

The Road Ahead for Liam Lawson

Japan was written off as a learning round for Lawson, who outqualified Tsunoda but was overtaken by his former teammate early in the race. Bahrain saw Lawson defending his position and picking up penalties for contact with other drivers.

Lawson’s inability to progress beyond Q1 at Bahrain was attributed to an issue with DRS, although technical chief Tim Goss suggested that Lawson may have been pushing too hard into a corner.

Despite Lawson’s claims of beating Tsunoda during their junior racing days, he has yet to prove his superiority in Formula 1. The switch with Tsunoda seems to have backfired for Red Bull, leaving fans wondering how Tsunoda would have fared in Lawson’s stead.

Lawson needs a psychological reset to break out of his slump. With the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix looming, he doesn’t have the luxury of a week off. A drastic change in setup could be the shock Lawson needs to regain his form and silence his critics.