Liam Lawson has revealed his shock and surprise at being demoted by Red Bull after just two races, saying he didn’t see the move coming. The New Zealander was sent to Red Bull’s second team, Racing Bulls, after the Chinese Grand Prix, with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda taking his place in time for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Lawson admitted that the decision caught him off guard, despite his struggles in the opening two races of the season. “It was definitely a shock, honestly. It’s not something that I saw coming,” he told Sky Sports. “The discussions we were having weren’t really leaning in this direction, so it was definitely not something that I expected.”
The 23-year-old was chosen by Red Bull ahead of Tsunoda to replace Sergio Perez, who left the team at the end of the 2024 season. However, he started his time in the seat poorly, qualifying 18th at the opening grand prix of the season in Australia before crashing out of the race in the rain. In China, he qualified last for both the sprint and the grand prix, before finishing the two races 14th and 12th.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner made the swift decision to bring in Tsunoda after Lawson’s disappointing results, with motorsport director Helmut Marko saying the team “made a mistake” signing Lawson. Lawson will now drive alongside Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls, and will have his first session in the car on Friday.
Liam Lawson Opens Up on Sudden Red Bull Demotion
