Liam Lawson, the 23-year-old rookie Formula 1 driver, is feeling the heat as his position at Red Bull hangs in the balance. His disappointing performance at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, where he found himself at the tail end of the grid yet again, has set alarm bells ringing. Red Bull’s leading figure, Helmut Marko, didn’t help the situation, hinting at Lawson’s possible dismissal should his performance fail to enhance.
Lawson’s current predicament is not unfamiliar to Red Bull. Previous seasons have witnessed a similar pattern where Max Verstappen, Lawson’s teammate, consistently outperforms his colleagues. Verstappen’s track record shows him never qualifying lower than fourth, a stark contrast to Lawson’s struggle to surpass the 18th position in three separate qualifiers.
This pattern of underperformance isn’t unique to Lawson. Red Bull’s history reveals a track record with drivers such as Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez who found it challenging to extract maximum performance from their cars.
Lawson openly admitted his struggle with the 2025 Red Bull car to Sky Sports F1. He spoke of his frustration and accepted that while traffic issues were a nuisance, they shouldn’t dictate his performance. He acknowledged his need to overcome these challenges, recognizing that the onus was on him to improve.
Red Bull’s past dealings indicate a readiness to make mid-season changes. In 2019, they demoted Gasly, and in 2023 Nyck de Vries was dropped from what is now the Racing Bulls team. They continued this trend in 2024 by letting Daniel Ricciardo go after the Singapore Grand Prix. This history of mid-season shake-ups underscores the severity of Lawson’s situation.
Marko’s cryptic commentary to Sky Germany further fueled the fire as he hinted at Lawson’s possible dismissal. He pointed at the competitive nature of the sport and the waiting talents of Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar.
Tsunoda, who has out-qualified Lawson for five consecutive races, continues to apply pressure. The 24-year-old driver has been a fan favorite for a Red Bull seat for some time now, but the team has yet to take a chance on him.
Adding to Lawson’s woes, Hadjar, another strong contender, recently qualified seventh for Racing Bulls, surpassing his colleague. This suggests that he too is a force to be reckoned with on the track.
All signs point towards a possible change in Red Bull’s roster. Whether that change involves Lawson’s dismissal or a reshuffling of the team, only time will tell. Until then, the pressure is on Lawson to step up his game and prove his worth in the high-stakes world of Formula 1 racing.