P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Liam Lawson has accused Red Bull of using the outcome of an experimental set-up in the Chinese GP as justification to sideline him from its F1 line-up after only two appearances.
Liam Lawson has accused Red Bull of using an experimental set-up’s outcome in the Chinese Grand Prix as a reason to sideline him from its Formula 1 lineup after just 11 races with the team. Despite being chosen to partner Max Verstappen for the 2025 season, replacing Sergio Perez, Lawson’s time was short-lived with struggles from the beginning, ultimately resulting in a last place finish in China. Red Bull swiftly replaced him with Yuki Tsunoda, moving Lawson back to the sister team after just two races.
Back at Racing Bulls, Lawson has seen a return to form with back-to-back point finishes before the summer break but has not shied away from highlighting the challenges faced during his brief Red Bull stint. Lawson revealed that the team’s set-up choices in China, meant to aid his development, were instead used against him in the decision to demote him. Despite feeling underprepared for the promotion and citing lack of planned preparation compared to other rookies like Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Lawson also pointed to reliability issues as contributing to his struggles.
Reflecting on his time with Red Bull, Lawson acknowledged the experience was far from smooth and noted areas where, in hindsight, he could have improved. Despite the setbacks, Lawson remains determined to learn from the experience and use it to grow as a driver in the future.
