Liam Lawson expresses ‘shock' over Red Bull's decision to replace him with Yuki Tsunoda
Liam Lawson has opened up about his surprise and disappointment following his abrupt demotion from Red Bull Racing after just two grands prix. This unexpected decision saw the New Zealand driver replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, prompting Lawson to reflect on what he described as a considerable shock.
"It was definitely a shock, honestly," Lawson told Sky Sports ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. "It's not something that I saw coming. The discussions we were having as well, I think, weren't really leaning in this direction, so it was definitely not something that I sort of expected."
The move came after Lawson's underwhelming performance, failing to score points in his two grands prix and a sprint race. His struggles during qualifying further influenced Red Bull's decision to reconsider their driver lineup. Despite these challenges, Lawson felt he deserved more time to demonstrate his capabilities.
"Obviously, I would have loved more time," he added. "And I felt like with more time, especially going to places that I'd been before... It was a tough start. We had a rocky testing. We had a rocky first weekend in Melbourne with practice. And then obviously China was a sprint. I think going to places that I'd been before with the way the car was quite tricky, I think that would have helped and I would have loved that opportunity. But obviously, it's not my decision, so I'm here to make the most of this one."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner justified the decision as a case of "too much, too soon." Though acknowledging the harsh nature of the demotion, Horner emphasized that this is not the end of the road for the 22-year-old Lawson, who will now return to the junior team, Racing Bulls.
"Of course, it's horrible because you're taking away someone's dreams and aspirations, but sometimes you've got to be cruel to be kind," Horner commented. "And I think that in this instance, this is not the end for Liam. We have to accept, I think we were asking too much of him too soon. And so this is for him to, again, nurture that talent that we know that he has, back in the Racing Bulls seat, whilst giving Yuki the opportunity and looking to make use of the experience that he has."
As Lawson transitions back to Racing Bulls, he remains determined to make the most of this reassignment and prove his worth in the racing world. Meanwhile, Red Bull will look to harness Tsunoda's experience in their ongoing pursuit of competitive excellence in Formula 1.
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