Red Bull recently confirmed the swap between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, effective immediately from the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend. Tsunoda’s backers were thrilled, while Lawson was understandably crestfallen, having been dropped after just two weeks. While for Lawson, moving from Red Bull to Racing Bulls is a demotion, Helmut Marko insisted that it isn’t.
The Red Bull advisor opined that Racing Bulls—despite being their sister team—has become quite competitive in recent years, and their 2025 car has shown decent potential. Based on that, Marko stated that they have “moved” Lawson to their sister team, not “demoted”.
The larger part of the F1 community disagrees with Marko‘s perspective. But former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has claimed that there are many drivers out there who would do anything to be in Lawson‘s position.
Yes, Lawson struggled immensely at Red Bull, often trailing Max Verstappen’s lap times by more than a second. However, Szafnauer raised an interesting point—many don’t even have a seat in F1.
“If you’re a talented driver and you just haven’t had the break to make it into Formula 1, and there’s a few of them. They would welcome a demotion to another Formula 1 team,” the Romanian-American said on The Race’s Team Principal podcast.
To name a few, F2 champions like Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire, along with race winners such as Frederik Vesti, Callum Ilott, and Robert Shwartzman, have been waiting for a break into F1—but to no avail. Comparatively, Lawson is in a much better position, as he still has a seat in the sport.
️ “Just look in the past, it was Gasly [for whom it] happens the same, also to Albon, and they recovered and they are now competitive Formula 1 drivers.”
Helmut Marko thinks that Liam Lawson will be able to rebuild his #F1 career with a return to Racing Bulls: pic.twitter.com/B7ZNiwvJGl
— The Race (@wearetherace) March 28, 2025
Szafnauer also thinks that the 23-year-old can bounce back from this trying phase by performing well at Racing Bulls. “Liam can still, at Racing Bulls, hone his skills,” the former Aston Martin boss said, suggesting that the doors at Red Bull may re-open for Lawson.
While that would be a fitting redemption for the Hastings-born driver, the chances of it happening seem slim, given Red Bull’s history. The Austrian outfit has never reinstated a driver they previously demoted or let go. Can Lawson be the one to break that trend?
How tough will it be for Lawson to bounce back?
Last year, while evaluating Sergio Perez’s future, Red Bull reportedly considered re-signing Alex Albon. Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was already in the mix as a potential candidate for a homecoming alongside Max Verstappen. Ultimately, however, they opted for Lawson, believing he was the best choice.
Red Bull promoted Lawson to address their second driver dilemma, hoping the New Zealander would develop into a reliable teammate for Verstappen. However, having discarded him after just two races, it seems highly unlikely that Lawson will regain their trust.
Red Bull’s talk of their “duty of care” is laughable. You either believe in the driver you’ve signed and give them support, or you don’t. They’ve played fast and loose with driver careers for decades, but this is a new low. 2 races are insane. Good luck, Yuki. You’re gonna need it.
— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) March 27, 2025
Bearing the weight of this setback, Lawson must win the mental battle and not let this ‘demotion’ define him. If he succumbs to the pressure, the #30 driver may never fully showcase his speed again and risk fading out of the sport.
One advantage for Lawson is that the Racing Bulls’ VCARB-03 appears to be easier to drive than the RB21. Having driven its predecessor last season, he is already familiar with the car’s quirks.
However, he also faces a capable rookie teammate in Isack Hadjar, who has impressed in Australia and China. It won’t be an easy ride at Faenza for the rest of the season. To secure his future, Lawson must put his short-lived Red Bull stint behind him and deliver his best performances yet.
