Liam Lawson did something behind the scenes at Red Bull that sealed his fate before the Japanese Grand Prix

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull Racing and Liam Lawson both enter the Japanese Grand Prix under exceptional scrutiny.

There aren’t many people blaming Liam Lawson for not getting up to speed after just two race weekends at Red Bull, but he’ll be well aware that he can’t afford another poor showing in qualifying or Sunday’s race.

For Red Bull, they’ll be hoping that Yuki Tsunoda can prove the RB21 isn’t as difficult to drive as Lawson believed, even though Max Verstappen hasn’t exactly been positive in his assessment of the car.

Lawson’s body language changed in the paddock in China after qualifying last and failing to score a point despite both Ferraris and Pierre Gasly being disqualified from the race.

Red Bull made setup changes to the 23-year-old’s car after qualifying to try and make the RB21 easier to drive, even if they sacrificed some performance in the process.

However, Lawson’s comments on the radio after the race in Shanghai suggested that the alterations they made didn’t really impact his driving style, and it appears as though his fate was sealed as soon as he took the chequered flag.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Liam Lawson apologised to Red Bull engineers after 2025 struggles

A report from The Times has shared more details about Lawson’s issues before being demoted to the Racing Bulls team for the Japanese Grand Prix.

The New Zealander looked to be in a very similar position to many of the other rookies on the grid, trailing their more experienced teammates throughout race weekends.

However, as the gaps between the likes of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, and Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg started to narrow, Verstappen simply left Lawson behind.

The report states that Lawson ‘apologised to the team on several occasions’ in both Melbourne and Shanghai as he attempted to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

Lawson was exasperated during pre-season testing as he faced several problems during his allotted time in the car.

Given how little time he spent in the car before being let go, even an extra hour in the RB21 could have helped him iron out a few issues.

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Liam Lawson’s comments after Red Bull demotion are a positive sign ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix

Lawson was put in a nearly impossible situation by Red Bull, but even at his lowest point last season, his predecessor, Sergio Perez, was adamant that he could turn things around, at least in public.

The New Zealander never had that air of confidence once the season started, which is easy to understand given Perez was a multiple race winner when his struggles started, and Lawson only had 11 Grand Prix starts under his belt.

Speaking in the build-up to the Japanese Grand Prix, Lawson said: “I think obviously an opportunity this weekend and maybe something I wasn’t expecting so early, but something that obviously is not my decision.

“And for me, it’s about making the most of this opportunity now. And obviously still being in Formula 1, I still have that.

“So yeah, it’s been a good week of preparations, so I’m excited to get going.”

Lawson has to be positive going into his new challenge, and finishing ahead of Isack Hadjar is his main goal going forward.

Red Bull sources haven’t ruled out Lawson returning one day, which will give him something to aim for.

Not only that, but Red Bull still don’t see Tsunoda as a long-term partner to Verstappen, meaning that Christian Horner might need to fill that seat once again in the future.