Liam Lawson beats Max Verstappen at Hungaroring: a stunning turnaround since those first two Grands Prix. Liam Lawson finished eighth in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The comeback of Liam Lawson
The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix could hardly have ended in a better way for Liam Lawson. The New Zealand-born Racing Bulls driver will head into the summer break with a beaming smile after outperforming not only his current team-mate Isack Hadjar but also—quite sensationally—reigning Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen.

At the start of the season, Liam Lawson briefly shared the Red Bull Racing garage with Max Verstappen, contesting the first two races of the year. However, his disappointing performances in Australia and China led to an abrupt demotion, with the New Zealander being sent back to Faenza, where the Racing Bulls team is based. He was replaced at Red Bull by Yuki Tsunoda, who has since struggled to make any impact and has not come close to scoring points.

Lawson, on the other hand, has experienced a significant upturn in form in recent weeks. Over the last four races, he has scored 16 points, showing consistency and strong racecraft. His result in Hungary, where he crossed the finish line in eighth place, highlighted that resurgence.

“I’m very happy with today’s result,” Liam Lawson stated after the race. He gained one position from his starting place, climbing from ninth on the grid to finish eighth. “It was a tough race, and finding a good window to make our pit stop was difficult due to the heavy traffic on track. However, the car had very strong pace, and tyre degradation was well under control, so everything came together nicely thanks to the team’s execution. Holding off a driver like Max Verstappen is never easy, but our race strategy allowed us to stay ahead until the end. Of course, it’s great to have found more consistency over the last few races, but the key will be maintaining this momentum after the summer break.”

Frustration for Isack Hadjar
Meanwhile, it was a frustrating afternoon for French rookie Isack Hadjar, who narrowly missed out on scoring points. He finished in 11th place, just behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes.

“There’s definitely frustration for having lost out on points today,” Hadjar admitted following the race. “Our pace was strong throughout the entire weekend, and I felt very confident heading into the race. Unfortunately, we didn’t get off the line well at the start. On the first lap, I pushed as hard as I could, but I lost positions and ended up stuck behind other cars. Our pace on the medium tyres was solid, and overall, it was a good result for the team and for Liam. There are definitely a lot of positives to take away. The car has clear potential—I just need to put everything together when it really counts.”

Isack Hadjar went on to express optimism for the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 season: “We’ve had a bit of bad luck in recent races, but I’m staying focused on what’s ahead. I’ll come back stronger after the summer break.”