Liam Lawson Responds to 'False' Red Bull F1 Rumors
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson addressed speculation about his time at Red Bull and made his stance clear.
Lawson replaced Sergio Perez heading into the 2025 season after an impressive stint with Racing Bulls.
After just two race weekends, Lawson ended up getting axed and replaced by former teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
The New Zealander didn't make it out of Q1 during his time at Red Bull and finished at the bottom of the pack during the races.
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls prepares to drive in the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 05, 2025...
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls prepares to drive in the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 05, 2025 in Northampton, England. More
Photo byMeanwhile, champion Max Verstappen fought for podium finishes in the same car, and the gap between the two drivers was untenable for the team.
After his demotion to Racing Bulls, several reports suggested that Lawson had lost confidence, but, in a recent interview, he denied this notion.
"I think I would say one thing to be clear about is that between the first couple of races, to the team switch, then going to Japan, mentally for me nothing changed," he told F1.com.
"It's been very heavily speculated that my confidence took a hit and stuff like this, which is completely false. From the start of the year, I felt the same as I always have.
"I think in two races, on tracks I'd never been to, it's not really enough for my confidence... maybe six months into a season, if I'm still at that level, if the results are still like that, then I'd be feeling something – maybe my confidence would be taking a hit.
"I was well aware that those results weren't good enough, but I was just focused on improving, fixing and learning, basically. I was in the same mindset as I have been since I came into F1."
Lawson felt he wasn't given enough time during his stint at Red Bull, especially for a relatively inexperienced driver who never raced at a top-flight team.
Since he swapped teams, Lawson is getting beaten by his teammate Isack Hadjar.
There are indicators that he may be settling in with the team. He finished in P6 at the Austrian Grand Prix after starting at the same position.
For the first time this season, he showed why he was trusted with a seat at Red Bull in the first place.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda isn't fairing much better than Lawson at Red Bull.
The Japanese driver manages to get the car out of Q1 more often, but he has experienced several low points similar to Lawson's. Even Verstappen is facing issues with the RB-21.
As Red Bull's struggles continue, Lawson's poor form at the start of the season becomes understandable.
Now, he faces a 12-race run to prove he still merits a spot on the F1 grid.
For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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